Darkest before the Dawn
by EvilTC
Summary: Juice is a looking for something or is it someone? He's not too sure. Bran just wants to go legit. It's easy to get tangled up in a small town like Charming, even when you know your no good for the other person. Life's about to get messy. Juice/OC
1. The Devil you know

Bran Holloway stared at the spilt level house before her from the window of her truck. She was parked along side the front lawn, drinking the last of her ginger tea in the plastic cup she brought from the east coast. Her moving truck would be here in a few hours and she was bone tired from driving from Maine to California in the last week. It had been a long week but one bore out of necessary.

There was no denying a fresh change was in order, and what better change was there then to move clear across the country to the small town of Charming. She had spent the last 15 years doing the bidding of her father's brother. Now, at 25 she had bartered free of her obligations and taken a leave from the family business.

Her father's family had been in the same business for as many generations back as anyone could remember. They had made their name from it, earned their money and built their reputations on their impressive kill record. Joining the family business was not something one could take a pass on. They were not born to be doctors or lawyers. She was not encouraged from a small child to follow her dreams. The only path she was encouraged to follow was one that was time marked and well worn by past family members. Doctor's her family was not, killers on the other hand they were.

Bran held a gun for the first time when she was five. Learn how to disassemble, clean, reassemble and load a gun by the time she was seven. She could tell you five different ways to bleed a man to death when she was nine and at twelve she was shooting with deadly accuracy.

But after racking up a kill count that made her brother's jealous she wanted out. Needed out, needed to pretend for a little while she was someone else, someone different. Whose hands weren't stained with blood, and who didn't see the faces of those she killed in her sleep every night.

Bran finished her tea and opened the truck door. She left the empty cup inside the truck and looked around the quiet street. It was early morning, as she had driven the last few hours from the shit box motel she spent the night in, so the neighbourhood was just starting to wake up. Her purple flip flops made no sound on the pavement as she got out of the truck. It was going to be a hot bitch of a day, and was sure she would be happy for the short jean cut off shorts and ripped t-shirt. Her long auburn hair was tied back into a pony tail out of her face and off the back of her neck.

Her feet cut a path over the over grown grass, and she added another item to the list to buy. A lawnmower and some weed killer. She was oddly excited to cut the grass, which she was sure no one would understand. She pulled the keys for the house out of her pocket and unlocked the first of two locks on the front door. The silver key slid into the door knob lock with ease and turned smoothly. She heard the door knob unlock and repeated the procedure with the secondary lock above the door knob. She opened the front door to her new house and walked inside, pocketing her keys as she walked.

The money she banked from the jobs she completed over the years, was enough to buy the three bedroom house in a quiet suburb of Charming and have a bit left over. Before moving in, she hired contractor's who knew silence and discretion would earn them an extra bonus at the end of the job ( and keep their head attached to their shoulders), and made several changes to the house. She replaced the hollow light doors, on both the outside and inside with heavy solid doors. She reinforced the door frames, making it difficult for someone to break into any of the rooms or the house itself by repetitively slamming themselves into the door. The windows on the house were replaced as well. Taking out the old, and replacing them with shatter proof and bullet proof windows was a no brainier for her. The biggest change was gutting the old office beside the living room and behind the kitchen. The contractor walled off the 11 by 10 room, making it only accessible by a sliding door built into the kitchen wall. The walls that surrounded the safe room had steel plates between two sections of dry wall, making the room bullet proof. Along with the safe room, she had portions of the dry wall cut out through out the house and covered with moving panels that looked just like the wall. These small spaces would be used to store her guns, ammo and knife collection and could be accessed by putting a correct amount of pressure on the panel.

She also had them rip apart the on-suite master bathroom upstairs, giving the contractor's a reason to be in the house for so long while completing the safe room and house modifications. She replaced the ageing tub shower combo with a large two shower headed glass shower and a large copper tub. Two sinks and new counter tops replaced the old and cracked ones.

Bran walked through the house, adding to list growing in her head of things to buy, buckets of paint, rollers, brushes and trays to fix the stark white of the walls. She made her way to the living room and stood staring at the new wall the contractor's built. She ran her hands down the wall, looking for any imperfections in their work that would lead someone to guess what it hid behind it. Seeing the wall's craftsmanship was up to her standards she continued on her way to the kitchen.

She ran her hands along the smooth surfaces of the counter's and looked at the condition of the 'genital used' appliances, noting that when she got another moment to it she would have to replace at least one and update the oven or the fridge. And she would have to buy a dishwasher but she knew that when she bought the house.

Bran walked over to the light switch on the wall across from the kitchen counter. She flicked the second light switch on the panel three time, once up, once down and once up again. She watched as a portion of the wall slid open, silently to reveal a steel door and a keypad. With quick sure fingers she typed in the code the security company gave her and then reentered her own personal code replacing theirs. The door didn't make a sound as it opened up and Bran looked into her safe room for the first time.

The safe room had cost her a pretty penny, but in her line of work it was money well spent. Having the tools for her trade and a built in room for protection on hand was essential. Just because she wanted to be someone else, didn't mean she grew stupid, lazy and complacent. Bran always covered her tracks well, never leaving behind anything that could connect her to her job as a hired killer. DNA of any sort was a calling card for your death later. The people she killed, they have friends and their friends were always looking to even out the score. Hell, some people she was related to would put a bullet in her head for a buck.

She had made plenty of enemies over the years of doing the bidding of her Uncle Colin. And even though she was thick as thieves with most of her family, Bran knew that not every one was happy she was off duty for the unforeseen future.

Bran didn't expect any visitor's from her old life, but some of the kills she racked up didn't either. And look where it got them. Cold, rotten and six feet under. Like the good girl scout she never was, she was nothing if not prepared for anything.

The safe room was equip with shelves, a toilet, small shower, sink, it's own water tank and two beds. It had it's own separate source for electric as well as a separate vent for ventilation leading out of the house. Nothing short of a fire could make her come out of there if she didn't want to. The room once she had it stocked would be able to keep her safe for an undetermined amount of time.

Bran didn't like to think of herself as paranoid but prepared. Because that's what she was taught to be. And that's what had kept her alive. It also caused her to replace the old blue prints that the houses original builder's had with the new version of course properly aged so that no one but the contractor's that installed the safe room knew that it was there.

She walked over to the corner of the safe room where the security camera's that were placed through out the inside and outside of the house were feeding into three large monitor's. She check the feed for any piggy backing devices and was satisfied to find all the connections in order and clean. Happy with the way the safe room looked, she made her way outside of the room and punched in her code to close the room back up. Bran watched as the steel door closed first, then the wall in the kitchen replaced itself hiding the steel door from view.

The house could use with a good cleaning and she only had a few hours at most before the moving truck would get here so Bran headed back out to the truck to retreat the cleaning supplies she had bought at a Walmart earlier that week.

The house wasn't going to get clean by itself and she better get to it.


	2. The Devil you don't know

Juice Ortiz took a swig of the beer in his hand, as he looked out Jax's front window at Tara and Jax's new neighbour across the street. The petite woman with sturdy shoulders and a firm but curvy frame; haul box after box into the newly sold house. He knew the house had been on the market for a while and had entertained the idea of purchasing it for rental purposes himself but the earnings through the club had been slow and far between lately with all the set backs they had run into. He thought it better to sit on it for a while, and apparently the lovely new neighbour had moved on the reduce price that the relator had placed on the house a few months back.

He also new that the house had gone through some major construction upgrades after it was bought. He'd been around Jax's place enough in the past few months to see the workers going in and out of the house.

The U-Haul had been parked ass backwards in the front driveway, and gave the neighbourhood the view of the contents that were inside. She had been making pretty steady progress since him, Jax and Opie had rode in on their bikes for lunch with Tara.

"Prev much Juice?" Tara asked as she cleaned up the empty plates from the kitchen table. The cut out in the wall allow her to see their front lawn through the living room window's and where Juice had firmly planted himself not long after lunch had finished.

Juice had taken to spending more time with the Samcro vp's Jax and his woman. Time which included an occasional lunch on a weekend or a rare movie night out when the club didn't interfere. It never seemed to bother Tara much, and for that Juice was thankful.

Juice turned to look back at the pretty brunette with a smile on his face. As much as he enjoyed hanging around with Chibs and Tig, it was a relief not to be the whipping boy all the time. It seemed that both he and Opie were hanging around Jax and Tara more lately. Each hoping to catch a little something different off the couple; Opie, a little happiness he once had but now lost, and Juice well he was still figuring out what he was looking for.

"You know me Tara, can't resist a pretty face." Juice replied as he took another drink of his beer. He turned back to the window to see the pretty auburn haired woman return to retrieve more boxes from the back of the U-Haul truck. He heard heavy footsteps and knew Opie was walking towards him.

"Look's like a heavy load for such a small thing." Opie comment as he watched the woman haul another large box of the truck. She fumbled a bit before reasserting her grip and trudging into the house.

"She's been unloading by herself since the morning." Tara told the boys, as she put the dirty dishes into the sink and began to wipe down the table.

"Really, she's been on her own all day?" Jax asked as he joined his boys at the front of the house. He had missed his best friend Opie while he was on his month long ride, but he understood that Opie needed and deserved some time to himself after Donna's death. Losing Donna in such a violent way made Jax question club life just a little bit more then he already had from his father's journal. He couldn't begin to imagine what he would do if he lost Tara. Juice's happy go lucky nature seem to up lift the sad tempo that danced around Opie, and for that Jax welcome the intelligence officer into their fold more.

"Yeah, saw the truck pull up just shy of ten this morning. Her pickup was here when I woke up this morning. The guy that was driving it left shortly after the truck got there. Just been her all day slugging those boxes into the house." Tara told the boys as she turned on the hot water and added soap to the sink.

Juice watch the woman reappear from the house and disappear into the back of the U-Haul. He liked to watch they way her body move, feet sure of where they were going, hips swinging and those jean shorts made her ass look better then good.

"Wonder what she's going to do when she get's to the real heavy stuff." Opie lifted his beer to his mouth and shifted his stance a bit. It was a bit odd, he suppose watching a lone good looking female through the window's of his best friends house but, he's seen and done much odder things then this in Charming.

" I think we are about to find out." Jax gave a bit of a chuckle as the three of them watched a girl half his size drag a full size couch down the back of the U-Haul.

"Are you seriously going to stand there and watch her unload the rest of that shit by herself?" Tara had come out of the kitchen with the dish towel in hand and an eyebrow raised at Jax.

Juice put his beer down on the side table by the door and was almost across Jax's front lawn by the time Tara had finished her sentence.

Jax laughed under his breath and elbowed Opie in the ribs." Guess Juice want's to play the good neighbour."

" I bet that's not the only thing he wants to play." Opie replied as he moved towards the front door.

"Real funny guys." Tara gave Jax a little push towards the front door after Opie." I'll be over to introduce myself after I finish the dishes."

"Your such a nice neighbour, babe." Jax teased as he gave Tara a playful kiss on the lips before walking out the door behind Opie. This might be what Tara needed, a girl who wasn't so weighed down in club shit. Maybe it would lighten her up a little bit and give her a little more confidence when it came to herself. In the hospital, Tara knew she what she was about, she knew her role and was comfortable doing what she knew best. But when it came to being his old lady, she let the other cro eaters walk all over her. he hated seeing that but knew if he continued to step in between them and her it would only get worse when he wasn't around.

Bran stopped pulling on the heavy ass couch and swore under her breath. What in the hell was she thinking when she refused to pay for the unloading service that came with the delivery of her belongings. Clearly, it was a moment of pure idiocy on her part.

She was no stranger to heavy lifting or hard work, but after driving most of the week from out east, cleaning the house top to bottom this morning then unloading box after box most of the day by herself she was almost burnt dry and still had at least half left to go and a full pick up full of shit left. The pick up was still packed to the brim even after she had unloaded her tools as she liked to refer to them as.

Bran pulled the handkerchief out of the back pocket of her shorts and wiped the sweat off her forehead and the back of her neck. She didn't think she would ever get used to the California heat. Why did she take that ugly ass couch anyway?

"Fuck it all to hell." Bran muttered as she shook her head and stuffed the red and black handkerchief back into her pocket. She placed her hands on the arm of the couch and gave a good pull. She had moved it back several footsteps and was picking up momentum moving towards the ramp of the back of the truck when she head a male voice, shouting at her.

"Hey, wait." Juice watch half in horror and the other half in amusement at this scrap of girl dragging a big, ugly ass couch down the back of the U-Haul. She had the angle all wrong, and was two foot steps from landing on her ass when she missed the ramp completely. " Let me help you."

"It's all right." Bran called back, without turning her head to look at the caller. She almost had it to the ramp and was too stubborn to think about how the hell she was going to get it into the house. ' I got it. No need to trouble your-"

Bran's sentence hung in the air as her right foot felt nothing but air and threw her balance to shit. She couldn't stop the momentum of the couch nor could she stop herself from falling. As her body jerked backward, all she could see was the shit brown and vomit green couch flying forward towards her face as her hands pushed down on the arm she was holding onto.

Juice saw the woman miss the ramp, and as her body fell towards the hard pavement of the drive way, her hands pushed down on the arm of the couch trying to right herself. Juice threw one his hands out trying to catch the couch before it landed on the poor girl and the other trying to catch the damsel in distress before she hit the ground.

He missed.

Catching the damsel that is. The couch he caught no problem but the girl he looked down at just in time to see his hand catch her in the side of the mouth and her body hit the ground with a hard whack.

"Shit." he swore looking down at the pretty faced woman with the split lip, laid out on the black pavement of the drive way.

"Nice save Juice." Jax chuckled as he watched Juice manoeuvre the couch back onto the ramp.

Bran laughed at herself, the spilt lip she had, and the dull ache in the back of her head. Wasn't this just the thing that happened to her. She touched a hand to her lip, wiping away the little bit of blood from the cut. She'd had worse before.

"I didn't see you two helping me." Juice bit out as he leaned down to help the girl up. His face was flush with guilt from her spilt lip. His ring must have caught her pretty plump bottom lip when he reached for her by mistake. "Sorry about your lip."

"It's alright." Bran smiled at the man who reached down with a hand out. She reached up, placed her small hand in his larger one and felt the strength behind him as he pulled her to her feet. She rubbed the back of her head with one hand and took a look at him, as she righted her glasses with the other. He was at least a head taller then her, but then it was a rare person who wasn't taller then her 5'4 frame. He had a mohawk, a perfectly straight three finger wide strip of dark chocolate brown hair clipped close to his scalp, with light brown skin on either side of that hawk. And tattoo's, on his head of what she first thought was some kind of tribal designs, but on the second look she doesn't know what the hell they could be. He's got a mile wide smile that makes her want to return it til, her spilt lip aches at the attempt. He had other tattoo's, three between his two arms and he wore leather and jean's in the California heat. Which made her think he was a little bit crazy. Sexy but fucking crazy.

There is something written on his leather vest, and before she can read it she realizes he was looking at her, starring at him. Her face flushes a bit, but she isn't sure if it's embarrassment from being caught checking him out or from the heat. She usually was better at hiding her looks.

She'll blame it on the heat.

"It doesn't pay to be stubborn." Bran says, as she reaches up to touch her lip that only aches slightly less the her head. It was still bleeding, which was annoying. " I think the couch would have hurt worse then your hand."

"My bad, I sometimes have shit coordination." Juice tells her as he sticks out his hand and introduces himself to her. He liked the fact that he caught her checking him out. It filled him with a sense of pride, usually he was the guy that got the left overs. Well as left over as you can get from the cro eater. " I'm Juice."

"That's no the only thing he had bad coordination with." Opie mutter's to Jax, as he watched the woman peer around Juice.

Hearing the another deep voice, caused Bran to break eye contact with the good looking would be rescuer and look around him at the two men dressed in a similar fashion to Juice. A tall blonde with shaggy jaw length hair, and well kept beard. He wore blue jeans, and a white t-shirt under that black leather vest. His shiny white kicks stood out among the other mens steel toe boots. His companion would tower over a regular sized man, and Bran knew if she stood next to him she would put a nasty crick in neck from looking up at him. His hair was hidden behind a black knit cap, while he had a long pointed beard. His size twelve boots were spread wide and his thick arms were crossed over his leather vest. His dark clothes seem to go along well with the sad look in his eyes.

"Bran." She replied, shaking Juice's hand with a firmer handshake then Juice expected. The handshake went on longer then socially necessary and caused her to break contact with him when she noticed it. " Your name is Juice? For what, juice box?'

" Your riding me about my name and yours sounds like the fibre cereal." joked Juice. He was relieved when she laughed at his weak ass joke. He turned and introduced his boys to her. "This is Jax and Opie. Your actually Jax's neighbour."

"Imagine that." Bran moved around Juice to shake both Jax's and Opie's hands. The house directly across from her's had three motorcycle's parked in it's driveway. She assumed that this was Jax's house. She had heard them come roaring in and successfully ruined the quiet of the street. Seeing as they came home just before 12, they must have rode home for lunch. Be friendly, she reminded herself."It's nice to meet some people in the neighbourhood."

"We've got some time before we need to be back at the club house so we can help you with your furniture." Jax said moving towards the truck, with Opie at his heels.

"Oh, no I can't ask you to do that." Bran said shaking her head as she watched Jax and Opie pick up her kitchen table and start to move it down the truck.

Juice was already moving towards the couch picking up the end and looking at her expectantly.

"You might as well let them help you." came a female voice from behind her. A brunette had walked across the street from the house where the bikes were. She was three inches taller then Bran, dressed in causal clothing, jean cut off shorts and a grey tank top. " It does good for their manly pride to help the little woman from across the street, lift heavy things."

Bran laughed and extended her hand to the woman. "I don't think I thought the unloading portion out very well. "

" Bran this is Tara, Jax's girlfriend." Juice made the introduction for both women, he watched them shake hands and eye each other up. He personally thought it was in Tara's best interest to meet and befriend other women outside of the fucked up recycled shit that goes on with the club life. Tara was not your usual cro eater, so she shouldn't have to always be around the Samcro bed warmers. 'Specially when most of the women were trying to fuck her man behind her back. " It's no trouble for us to help you."

"Juice, that couch ain't going to move it self man." Jax mutter as he and Opie waited for Juice to move the couch out of their way if he was planning on spending the day starring at his new neighbour.

"Shit, I'll help you Juice." Bran replied as she saw Jax and Opie waiting for Juice to move the couch from blocking the ramp. she helped Juice shift the couch enough that Jax and Opie passed by them, lifting the table high over the couch. Bran grabbed the end of the couch nearest to her, and cursed herself for bringing it again. Sentimental value be damned, she should have just bought a new one.

"I'll grab the lamps and small pieces." Tara offered as she watch Jax and Opie manoeuvre the table into the front door. She scouted around the couch and walked further back int o the U-Haul. Tara picked up two lamps and waited for Juice and Bran to move the couch so she could exit the truck.

Juice had swung the couch around so he was the one walking backwards, seeing as Bran had shit coordination, not that he was much better. He took smaller steps so her short legs could keep up.

The over cautious part of Bran warned her of the dangers of letting men she didn't know into her house but she was her to have a normal life and that consisted in having helpful neighbours.

Besides it would take her days to lug all this shit in and her guns were well hidden in their new homes hours ago.

"Where does this ugly fucker go?'" Juice asked as Bran smiled at him, her eyes twinkling at him. "Please tell me some where close. This is one heavy fucker."

"You think my couch is ugly?' Bran try not to stare at the way his muscles flex in that tight t-shirt as he walked with the couch in his hands. She was going to be hard pressed to control her baser instincts when it came to this man. Good lord, it had been a long time since a man made her just a little bit wet this fast.

"Are you kidding me?" Juice tried to keep his eyes on her face, but her chest was right about the couch arm and he was only a humble man. Her breast weren't as big as some of the porn stars at Cara Cara but she wasn't flat chested by all means. She had enough for him to enjoy, and if he had any game at all he would be.

Sooner rather then later.

" So maybe the colours don't really work together." Bran said as she watch Juice check behind him as they moved the couch into the front door. Opie and Jax had already deposited the table in the kitchen and were waiting to get out the front door.

"You got that end?" Opie asked her as she passed by him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Bran replied with a friendly smile. The couch was heavy but Bran wasn't lacking in the pride department, it ranked right up there with her stubbornness." Just drop your end over there, Juice." Bran nodded to the corner of the living room furthest from the entry way.

Jax watched Juice and Bran looking at each other when the other one wasn't looking. He recognized the look in Juice's eyes. He had seen it on it on his own face years ago, looking in the mirror. It was the realization that you want someone that is too good for you. Jax turned at the front door, as Tara entered with arms full. She was his someone to good. Always was, even back then when they were 16 and running wild in the streets.

Juice may not know it yet, but Jax knew what his poor brother was looking for these past months. He was looking for an old lady. He was looking for his Tara.


	3. Chinese Star Gazing & Peeping Tom's

Bran ran her fingers through her hair, and looked around at the chaos of her kitchen. There were boxes both empty and full spread around in no particular order. She was an odd duck for sure, when it came to anything but work her organization skills went to shit. Her dishes and most of her cook ware were put away, but she still seem to trip over full boxes of kitchen shit.

If she hadn't take those cooking classes a few years back she wouldn't know what the hell to do with most of the shit she bought in the last year. But that was just one of her coping methods.

Bran took classes, a lot of classes over the years to keep her mind focused on anything but the faces of those she killed. She learned to ride horses, how to knit, make a dinner to die for, and the basics of home repair. She could play the fiddle, make wicked balloon animals and held a few belts in random marshal art forms. She could spout off a dozen or so random facts about most topics from all the college and university courses she's taken over the years but the one class she took that changed her life was painting.

It was her secret passion, one that she hoped to be able to exercise frequently now that she had space from her family and time to devote to it. She had set the art room up at the back of the house first as in her mind it was the second most important room in the house just behind the safe room.

It was one of the only completely unpacked rooms and hell she hadn't even put together her damn bed in the master bedroom yet but she had all her paints, brushes and canvas put away and ready to go. She was going to try really hard to get the house unpacked before opening a paint jar or picking up her sketch book.

She was lucky that Tara and her boys were so helpful today or she was sure she would be still unloading. After they had emptied the moving truck, Juice drove it back to the dealership for her.

They were so helpful she told Tara she would cook them all dinner, in a week or two when she got the house sorted. Tara, being the nice neighbour she was offered to stop by in the morning to see if she needed help unpacking.

She wasn't stupid. She knew trouble when she saw it, especially when it came packing. Bran wasn't blind, she saw the nine mm tucked beneath Jax and Opie's jackets and into their waistbands of their jeans while they were moving her furniture. Nor was she gullible to think Juice didn't have one as well as that ten inch blade the three of them had strapped to their sides. These boys knew trouble and from the looks of it knew it quiet frequently.

Even though she wasn't looking for trouble and just wanted a quiet time to ease the stench of death around her, she actually liked them. Juice with his wise ass quips and sexy smile, Jax ribbing on his boys and the way he looked at Tara, complete and utterly in love. Big Opie, sad eyes and smart ass remarks.

Bran liked Tara. She was funny, smart and easy to be around. She hoped that in with time Tara would be more then just a friendly neighbour, perhaps even a friend. She never had a girlfriend, wasn't really an opportunity for her to get one. She never went to school, was home schooled by a few aunts and even that was sporadic at best. For Bran, it didn't matter that Tara's man could be in some shady shit, she figured she could handle it. She was neither cocky or over confidant but if Jax or one his boys came back and put two bullets in the back of her head, she knew her Uncle would unleash hell in Charming like no other.

So in her mind, making friends with people who dabbled on the wrong side of the law, made her feel a little more at home in Charming and just as safe.

Thinking about what she would cook Tara and the boys dinner reminded her she hadn't eaten yet. She knew her fridge was empty as her truck hadn't left the front of the house since she parked it there this morning.

Deciding to hell with the kitchen and half unpacked house, she would go out in search of food or at least take out menus. Bran groaned as she started to search for her keys, not remembering where she left them last. She found them in the front hall way, in a hand blown glass bowl she blew herself in one of her art classes she took three years ago. The gold, and green bowl sat on an oak side table by the door.

Bran was slipping her feet into her flip flops on when she heard the rumble of a bike. She reached for her wallet on the table by the bowl as she could have sworn her heard the bike pull into her drive way. Her motion sensor lights turned on, confirming her suspicions.

"Late night caller, huh." Bran muttered as she turn to open the door to see who was in her drive way.

Juice got off his bike and reached for the large bag of Chinese food and six pack of beer. He really hoped he wasn't over stepping his boundary's by showing up back up at Bran's so late at night but it really was Tara's fault.

She had called him an hour ago on his cell phone, all causal like asking if he had eaten dinner. At first he thought she was inviting him for a late night dinner but didn't think Jax would appreciate him rolling up at a quarter to nine at night for dinner with him and the old lady when he heard Gemma telling Jax she was taking Abel for the night. He knew exactly how his VP was going to spend the night. Tara planted the bug in his ear that Bran probably hadn't made it out of the house all day to stock up on grocery's and wouldn't have any of the restaurants on speed dial for delivery.

He had tried to play down his attraction to Jax's new neighbour but Tara call his bullshit.

_'Do you think I am stupid, Juice?" she asked him and he could just picture her face and those eyes like steel glaring at the phone._

"_Now Tara, I never said that."_

"_You want her, and unless you don't want the rest of your horny brother's sniffing after her you best go and stake your claim. A girl like her, isn't going to chase after you like some skank cro eater. She won't care that you have a cut." Tara told him in that tone of voice he had heard her use many times when she wants something from Jax._

"_I'm not that good at chasing, Tara." _

"_Your spoiled." Tara huffed on the phone. " Take her dinner and some beer. Make a little conversation, put in a little effort and when your brother's come sniffing around the new piece of ass in town like dogs in heat she won't look twice at them. Won't that just stick it to Tig?"_

He heard Jax in the background as he hung up, yelling that if Bran turned down the food and beer to leave them on his front step and he'll eat them.

And here he was, standing in her drive way with a bag full of food and beer, feeling like a right idiot. He had half a mine to say fuck it and bail but her spot light was shinning and the lights in her house were on so he knew she was up to hear his bike.

What the hell was he suppose to say to her, and not look like a stalker. He didn't even know if she was interested in him. Yeah, he caught her once or twice checking him out but he had girls before think he was the shit before meeting the rest of the club, and then he became the left over, last choice option. He just didn't have that high of a standing in the club for their taste, apparently. Intelligence officer was only so interesting til you met the Sgt, in Arms or Chibbs with his apparently sexy accent or so he'd been told once or twice.

Bran watched him for a moment from the front door. The night had cooled down the temperature and it felt great compared to the heat of the day. The street was quiet and she could see that her neighbours were all in bed already. Juice stood in her drive way, holding something that smelled like heaven and what she hoped was a cold pack of beer in his other hand.

Boy, he was looking better then ever.

'Hey, stranger." Bran called out, snapping Juice from his inner monologue of doubt. She watched as his head pop up and he held up the food and beer like a white flag. He was still wearing what he wore earlier, jeans, shirt and vest and that wicked blade strapped to his hip. She noticed each of the ever so helpful men had one when they were helping her earlier in the day but didn't say anything.

Wasn't her business, then but if Juice was showing up this late, then it made her business now to at least enquire.

"Thought you might be hungry." Juice cringed at his weak line, and waited for her rejection. "So I brought food, to say you know sorry for your lip."

"So the food's just for me, and the beer is just for you?" Bran smiled at his nervousness and was a little bit herself. She didn't sleep with men often, to complicated on both ends and when she did they didn't bring her dinner and beer. This was uncharted territory for her.

"Well, I guess you could have a drink in exchanged for some food." Juice let out a small sigh of relief and started to move towards the front door. As he got closer he could see her better in the light from above the door. Her hair was out of pony tail and fell around her face in messy way that made her face more pretty. Her glasses were down her nose a bit and she had a look on her face that made him go a little bit hard.

"Think I can manage that, on the account of you saving me from leaving the house to hunt something up." Bran replied as she moved out of his way so he could step into the house." Sorry about the mess, the house and I haven't quiet made friends yet. And don't worry about the lip, I can hardly feel it anymore."

"You just moved in, I don't expect you to have everything in order." Juice said as he followed her through the house back to the kitchen. He looked around and reminded his OCD that this was not his house, therefore it would be very rude for him to start to fix everything. He doubted cleaning would get him into her pants.

But then again if that did it for her, give him a few hours and he'd set this place to right.

Seeing his slightly distress face, Bran chuckled. "Pretty bad huh? I couldn't keep myself on track when it came to unpacking. I get too excited to remember to finish what I start."

"I'm sure you got plenty of time to finish it." Juice told her as set the bag of food on a clear spot on the counter and opened the fridge to put the beer in. He grabbed two out of the carry case and closed the door. He watched as Bran opened a cupboard and retrieved a couple plates, then dug around in a few boxes to find some forks.

"Eat out on the back porch?" Bran asked referring to one of her favourite feature about the house. She loved the screened in back porch when she saw it on the realtor's website. The house came with a well loved swinging chain bench, that she meant to repaint later on. And it had well worn indoor carpet. Earlier on, one of the boys had carried out her brand new out door furniture she had bought just for this porch. A couple comfy chairs and a small coffee table. The best part, beside the swing was the sky lights in porches roof. The porch was the perfect star watching environment. "It's not to cold outside to eat right?"

"No it should be good." Juice replied as he held the two beers in one hand and grabbed the food in the other. He motioned for her to lead and followed out the back door from the kitchen and onto the porch.

Juice could see that Bran had managed to unpack at least some part of the house fully when he stepped out on the porch. She had spaced the chairs against the back wall looking out to the back yard, the coffee table in front of the chairs and a few wooden end tables around the chairs. There were candles in lantern's and out on their own in holders, and stack of fluffy cushions lay piled up against the brick wall by the porch swing. A thick flannel blanket was thrown over the back of the porch swing, creating a warm and comforting imagine.

"The back light is out, I have to replace it tomorrow." Bran told him as she put the plates and forks down on the coffee table. She mentally kicked herself when she realized the only light source out here would be the candles and the fairy lights she had hung up around the porch. This was going to turn into something awkwardly romantic, wonderful. Bran walked over to the plug that hung down the wall beside the outside outlet and plugged the lights in. They cast a soft glow around the porch." I'll have to go and dig around for a lighter for the candles."

"No need." Juice said as he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his lighter. He handed it over to her then set about removing the Chinese food from the bag. He lay the food containers out on the coffee table and then dragged some of the cushions over so they could sit on them. He sat down and watched her move around for a moment before starting to open the containers. He was thankful the ride over didn't cool the food down too much.

Bran lit the candles that sat around the porch and then placed the lighter on the table. She sat down on the cushion and watch Juice pop open the containers. She grabbed the two beers and twisted off their tops. "Thanks for this, Juice."

"It's no biggie. Just figured you got to be hungry after all the work you did today." Juice took the beer that was handed to him, grateful for something in his hand. He took a drink, hoping to wet his dry throat. Jesus, he was out of practise making conversation with a woman he was interested in. He was so used to picking a more then will girl and having her on her knees with his dick in her mouth before she said hello. How the hell did Jax and Opie do this?

Bran looked at him, and even in the soft light of the candles she could tell he was embarrassed. It was endearing and sweet, something she did not expect out a leather wearing biker. "So what does dinner and beer usually buy you in Charming?"

"Depends if you like the food." Juice replied with a smile as he watched her lift the beer up to her plump lips, and take a drink. He gave her a crooked grin which when she returned made his pulse jump a bit.

"Well, I guess we need to see how the good the food is then." Bran didn't know what the hell had gotten into her. She was flirting with a man she knew nothing about, and contemplating at least letting him get to second base. She didn't know if it was the lack of food or if she was really that hard up for action she wasn't going to make him work for it.

She should have googled what to do on a first date. Was this even a first date? Shit, maybe she could go to the bathroom and google that.

Fuck, why couldn't she just had a normal fucking childhood.

" You'll have to let me know your rating."Juice was thankful he didn't cheap out on the food and go to the shitty Chinese place instead Kong Wo's. It was in his opinion far superior to Li Mai's.

To give her hands something to do she started to dish up her food and watch Juice do the same. Juice had to have bought at least one serving of everything on the menu as the table was almost covered with boxes of food that smelled beyond good.

The first bite almost made her weep, it was not the best Chinese food she ever had but it was good enough for an empty stomach. She are a bit more, watch Juice dig into his food before taking a drink of her beer.

"So, why did you more to Charming?" Juice asked her, figuring it was a safe question as any.

"Needed a change, put some miles between me and the family for a while." It was an honest answer for the most part, Bran figured as she played with the label on the beer. " Nothing's a bigger change then packing up and heading west, just seemed like a good idea."

"Just like that, you picked up and moved across the country to Charming." Juice looked at her in disbelief.

"I liked the name." Bran smiled at him and shovelled in another mouth full of food before saying. " I thought it would be charming, you know cause of the name."

Juice laughed for a moment before saying. "Well it is on the sign. You know, the name says it all or some shit like that. It was a pretty bold move here. What are you going to do here, I mean now that your here."

"Paint." she replied, surprised at herself for telling him. Her painting was private part of her that she never really told anyone about. " I'm kinda obsessed with it."

"You any good?"

"I wouldn't know if I was. Took a bunch of art classes and stuff but never really showed anyone but instructor's." Bran twirled some noddles on the tines of her fork before stabbing a piece of broccoli and popping the wad of food into her mouth.

"Do you have some pieces you've painted here?" he asked cutting the chicken ball in half with his fork. "I'd like to see some if you did."

Juice was actually genuine interested in seeing her paintings. He could they meant something to her, from the tone in her voice and the way her eyes lit up in the candle light. That made him interested in them.

Bran smiled and ate some more before answering. "Maybe. If I find something worth showing you."

"Alright." he said as he finished off the rest of the food on his plate. He laid his fork on his plate and drank his beer.

"What's with the vest?" she asked, picking up her beer and taking a drink. When she researched the town of Charming she had read several references to the name on his vest, SAMCRO but didn't really did any deeper into it as she never figured she would associate with any member.

"The vest? You mean my cut?" Juice asked holding the cut out a little so she could see it better. He was surprised she didn't know what it was, as everyone in Charming knew what it was, what meant and had an opinion on it. But he doubted where she was from she had MC clubs like SAMCRO.

"You call it a cut? Yeah, your cut, what's the deal with the matching outfits with your boys." Bran had eaten her fill and pushed the plate away from her. She picked up a container of food and shook it at Juice asking if wanted more. He shook his head no and she started to close up the containers on the table while occasionally drinking her beer. It was starting to get warm and she wanted a cold one, sooner rather then later.

"It's the cut of my club. Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original, home of the motorcycle enthusiasts and mechanics. Jax and Opie belong to same club." Juice said lightly giving her a mile wide grin. He knew to tread lightly around talk of the club, Bran wasn't an Old Lady, nor was she a contact of the club. There was shit she didn't need to know and he was sure within a few days the town would fill her in enough to make her weary of them. It wasn't a bad thing that he wanted this moment between them not to be tainted.

"And motorcycle enthusiast and mechanic carry a knife like that?" Bran's question hung in the air for a moment as she pointed to the knife with her beer.

Juice wish he would have left it on the bike before he came in but it was a habit to carry the knife. He didn't want scare her, but looking at her she didn't seem scared, curious perhaps but not scared. Shit, it was a good think his glock was in his saddle bag. That would get awkward in a hurry for sure. He took a drink of beer to buy him some time to think of a response. "Does it bother you?"

Bran stacked the containers and started to place them in the bag when she looked at him. She didn't feel threaten with him carrying a knife, knowing full well she could hold her own with bigger men and bigger knifes." No, should it? It's not like your a crazy serial killer who brings dinner over to the unsuspecting girls houses then slits her throat in the kitchen. Cause if you are, I have to warn you, I know kung fu."

"Not the last time I checked, I wasn't." Juice said laughing as he finished his beer and gathered up the plates.

"Good." she said as she grabbed her beer, and the food bag full of half empty containers and heading into the kitchen, downing her beer as she walked. " Cause I would kick your ass, Juice Box"

"Seriously? Your callin me Juice Box? Whatever, Bran Flake." snorted Juice watch her ass as she walked.

Bran laughed at his comment and opened the backdoor to the kitchen.

Juice followed her, trying to think of way to progress the night past dinner and one beer. He really didn't want to eat and go home. But he would if she gave him the signal.

He set the dishes in the sink and gave them a once over with hot water watching her open the fridge and set the food inside while leaving her beer bottle on the counter. She reached into the fridge and pulled out the rest of the six pack.

"Want to watch the stars, for a while and finish the six pack?" Bran asked, hoping he would want to stay for bit. She liked his company and felt oddly easy around him.

"Sure," Juice replied leaving the dishes in the sink and turning off the water. He reached for the beer she was holding out and twisted off the cap, leaving it on the counter. "Like out on the grass?"

"Nope, back porch has big ass sky lights." Bran told him as she headed for the back door. She turned around to him, flashing a flirty smile and saying. "Blow out the candles and I'll get the fairy lights. It's always better to watch them in the dark."

Bran felt bold, and brave and just a little bit sexy. She promised herself when she moved to Charming she was going to step out of her tight ass box and experience some things she didn't get to with her fucked up childhood. She wasn't going to sleep with him, but what was the hard in a little make out session under the stars?

Juice did as he was told blowing out the candles Bran had lit earlier. Bran grabbed one cushion and dropped it under the sky lights, leaving the beer beside it before going to pull the plug on the lights. Juice had taken her lead and snagged the other cushion, putting it beside hers.

Bran cracked the lid on a beer, took a drink and got her self settled on her cushion. She set Juice up, and now she was going to wait for him to make the move. She just hoped it was sooner rather then later because now that she had a full belly she was starting to feel tired. The beer was not helping either.

"It kinda always amazes me how freaking incredible the stars are."Bran said as she stretched out her legs and stared up at the black sky. Her beer rested on her stomach and she was slowly peeling the label off of it with her free hand.

''Yeah the are." Juice agreed, his body slightly up right and facing her. He wasn't watching the stars, had no interest in them. He was watching her.

Bran turned to look at Juice, feeling the warmth of his body next hers and seeing his face looking her not the sky. She angled her body more towards him and gave a quiet laugh. "Your not watching the sky, Juice."

"Found something better to look at, I guess." Juice replied reaching over and taking the beer from her hands, and putting it beside her as he moved his face towards her. He brought his hand up to her face and turned her more into him before pressing his lips to hers. They were soft, plump and thanks Jesus willing. He tilted Bran's head with one hand and with the other pulled her closer by tugging her shorts.

Bran tried to hide her smile, and hitched her leg over his hip and letting him pull her towards him. He kissed better then she expected from his nervousness. She kissed him back and ran her hands over his cut, trying to get under it.

He felt her kiss him back, and he pressed his tongue against her lips wanting access her mouth. He move his hand down from the top of the shorts to cup that ass he was starring at most of the afternoon. It was full, plump and her curves really turned him on. He pulled on her again, nestled her tight to him feeling his semi hard dick grind into her pussy.

Bran opened her mouth and felt Juice's tongue stroke hers while he ground his dick into her. She moaned and shoved her hands up his shirt. God, he was rock hard muscle. Solid, sculpted and smooth to the touch, she ran her hands up his chest and back down again. Taking her hands out of his shirt she pulled and pushed trying to get him on top of her. She wanted the damn cut off, it was annoying her and his fuckin shirt could follow the leather to the floor while he was at it.

Juice felt her try to move his body. He could guess by her movement she wanted him on top, and that was find by him. He rolled over, bracing himself over her with his arms so he wouldn't crush her. He felt both her legs squeeze the sides of his body tight against him as continued to kiss her, moving from her sweet mouth to the smooth curve of her neck leaving soft kisses along the way. He felt her small hands tugging on his cut, pulling it down over his shoulders with firm tugs. Most girls wanted him to fuck them with it on, but he could already tell Bran wasn't his normal type of girl.

Bran let out a hiss when Juice hit that spot. That sweet spot on the side of her neck with his mouth and for a moment her eyes rolled back into her head and her toes curled. Jesus, this boy had a way with his mouth and still was still dressed. He kissed her mouth again, slipping his tongue inside, tangling it up with hers. She felt his teeth scrap and playfully bite her bottom lip before sitting up on his knees. Bran watched as he threw the half off cut on the floor and like the smart boy he was got rid of his shirt. He lied back down, making sure their was a little space between their bodies, he didn't want to crush her with his weight.

Juice felt her hands on him. While his hands were intent on exploring her body, hers were resting either side of his face moving up ward towards his hawk. He felt her hand slid down the hawk and rest on the back his head. He liked when she did that, and for him that was weird. It usually pissed him the fuck off when a cro eater tough the 'hawk. But when she did it if felt right. He reached up and took off her glasses, pressing soft kisses to each of her closed eyes before putting the glasses someone above their heads on the floor.

He ran his hands through her thick hair and clenched in roughly in his hands and he kissed her deeper. She reached down and pulled him down on top of her, she welcomed his weight. She ran her hands down his smooth back, feeling the muscles tighten as her hands travelled down his ass. She cupped his ass, grinding herself into him as he continued to kiss her.

Juice moved his hand up her shirt pulling the hem as he went, he wanted it off and the bra too. He wanted to have his mouth on her breasts before he took her shorts off and put it somewhere else.

The cool night air on her stomach woke Bran out of her lust filled haze. She reached for Juice's hand and squeezed once. He stilled his movement, kissing her one last time before backing off a little bit.

"Too soon?" he asked her hearing her laboured breath. Fuck he was rock solid and it would be a bitch to stop, but he would if she wanted to. He wasn't the type of asshole who forced girls. That wasn't his style.

"I want to but I don't even know you last name." Bran chuckled as she reached her hand out for her beer.

"Ortiz." Juice handed it to her as he backed off a little to give her room to drink it. " It's ok, we can just chill for a while."

"Chilling is not what I had in mine Juice." Bran told him taking another long swallow of her beer.

"Baby, we'll do whatever you want.'

"I was hoping you'd say that.

* * *

Jax woke up having to take a piss and found himself in an empty bed. He ran his hand through his hair and through his legs over the bed to the cool hardwood floor of his bedroom. His mom taking Abel for the night was good, gave him some time alone with Tara. Something he could never get enough of it seemed ever. And time alone with Tara usual meant a really good, long fuck session. Sure they had sex when Abel was sleeping but you never knew how long it was going to be before the kid woke up. He had never met a cock blocker like his son, that's for sure.

Jax left the bedroom and headed for Abel's room to see if that's where Tara had ended up. When he stuck his head in the doorway, he saw she wasn't there. It wasn't like him not to wake up when she left the bed. He turned around and started for the bathroom.

"Babe?" he called out softly in to the dark house.

"In here."

He followed her voice to the living room. There stood his woman, peeping out the front window's like some perverted peeping Tom. She wore what she always wore to bed, one of his SAMCRO shirts and nothing else. There was no panties allowed in Jax Teller's bed. "What are you doing, Tar?"

"Juice's bike is still in Bran's driveway." Tara informed him, looking over her shoulder at him before returning to starring out the window.

"This is what you left our bed for at the 4am in the morning?" Jax walked over and stood over her shoulder, joining her in looking out the window. He saw that the front light was on and through the glass on the side of Bran's door he could just make out two figures locked in an embrace.

"No, I had to pee so I thought I would just check and then the light came on." Tara explained watching intently as the front door opened and Juice stepped out, putting on his cut. " So I stayed. Whatever, you would have too."

"Would not." Jax retorted as he leaned closer to the window. He watched his brother grab his new neighbour and pull her into a heavy kiss against the wall of the house. As Juice walked away from Bran towards his bike, Jax could swear the fucker had a little more swagger in his step.

"Your still here." Tara told him which earned her a firm slap on the ass.

They watched as Juice got on his bike, and started it up. He backed it out the drive way and before he tore down the street they watched him wave to Bran who was still standing the doorway watching him drive away.

"Did he seriously just wave at her?" Jax looked away from the window down at his woman with a look of disbelief at his brother's behaviour. Juice never failed to surprise Jax, weather it was feeding crank to a killer Doberman or believing Tig when he said anything was a vitamin, and now waving at a girl he just scored with. Boy had his own page for fucked up social skills for sure.

"He did for sure." Tara told him turning around as Bran closed her front door and the light went off in the house across the street. " You going to find out what happened from Juice tomorrow?"

"Like you have to ask." Jax put his hand on her waist and started to steer her back to their room, bathroom trip forgotten he was not intent on getting him some more.

"You going to tell me?"

" Like I would withhold from you." Jax was tired of prompting Tara to move down the hall and turned her around to face him. He grabbed a handful of her ass with both of his hands and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and starred down at him as he carried her down the hall. " You going to pump Bran for details on Juice's late night visit?"

"Of course." Tara kissed him hard as she felt him squeeze her ass in response. " What are good neighbours for?"

"True that, baby." And with that Jax dropped her on the bed, and proceeded to get him some.


	4. Coffee Breaks

_I seemed to have forgotten the disclaimer in my haste to post this story. So it's all the same usual shit, I don't own anything that you see on the show, the plot lines, character's etc. I just borrow here and there from it. I do however own everything else you don't see on the show. Thanks for all the love this story has gotten in the reviews. Much appreciated. I will try to post regularly as the muse flows. _

_Also, I feel like I should mention that my story takes place somewhere in between Opie's return after Donna's death and before Bobby's return party in the second season. I spaced these two event apart as I thought I need to establish Bran more into the lives of SAMCRO before all hell breaks loose with Zorbelle. So it's a bit of an AU story._

_Enjoy._

* * *

Tara walked across the street with two mugs of steaming coffee and a pile of questions around ten in the morning. She was curious about what happened between Bran and Juice the night before. Jax had suggested she put the bug in Juice's ear to play Bran a visit last night, mind you it was her idea for him to bring dinner. It was the best excuse she could come up with to give him a reason to show up late at night.

Jax suggested the beer.

Clearly, her man's rare attempt at match making went well last night from her late night session at being a nosey neighbour. Tara didn't have many girlfriends, she had a few in Chicago but nothing that lasted over the distance. She was friendly with a few fellow doctors but that atmosphere carried it's own brand of drama. Off ice politics and the sometimes incestuous sexual relations between co workers was often more then she cold take. And she certainly wasn't making any friends among the cro eaters who all wanted to fuck Jax. All she had for female companionship was Gemma, and Gemma was well Gemma.

Things between her and Gemma were more solid, then a year and half ago when she returned to Charming or even before when she and Jax made their first round at being together. Tara sense a little less hate thrown in her direction from Gemma, and quiet possibly a bit more acceptance. After all, for mother replacements for Abel, Tara figured that Gemma must have thought she was a far better choice then Wendy Jax's former junkie wife and Abel's birth mother or the never ending line of cro eaters that wanted Jax's dick.

She was spending more and more time at Jax's house compared to her own. She enjoyed spending time alone with Jax and Abel, enjoyed the quiet and the sense of family. She loved Jax, that was something she couldn't run from or hide. It was a love that lasted distance, time and other people.

As Tara's feet hit Bran's driveway she took a drink of her coffee, burning her tongue slightly on the hot liquid. The morning was already heating up and she could tell it was going to be a hot one.

Tara grasped the handles of the two mugs in one hand as she knocked on the door with the other hand. She only had to wait a moment before the door opened and there stood Bran who looked tired but Tara thought perhaps satisfied.

"Hello, neighbour." Bran greeted her with a smile. She was happy Tara kept to her word and came over. She liked it even better that Tara came over with what looked like a steaming cup of coffee. She needed caffeine after her late night with Juice.

Thinking of Juice, made Bran smile. They didn't have sex, even though they both wanted to. As much as Bran wanted to through caution into the wind and sleep with him, she couldn't. She didn't rule it out from never happening but she was more then willing to wait and see what would happen. Sex complicated a lot of shit, and even with her lack of social knowledge she knew that getting tangled up with an outlaw could end up with her shit laid out for all to see. And that was the last thing she wanted, needed or was interested in handling.

She barely remembered drifting off, snuggled into Juice somewhere around 1am only to wake up a few hours later with a crick in her neck and Juice's face buried in her tits. Clearly he thought they were a comfortable pillow. Bran woke his sleeping ass up and told him dinner and beer didn't buy him a sleep over, and the cushions didn't make a good mattresses. He only put up a little resistance to leaving and it was very adorable to watch.

Bran slept for a few hours after that and woke with a smile on her face and more energy then she should have. Maybe it was something about the California air or possibly she had a little bounce her step from Juice. Either or she put a pretty big dent in getting the house in order.

"As promised, coffee and willing hands to help." Tara said, holding out Bran's coffee. Tara walked into the house and saw it mostly put together. Bran was a very busy girl yesterday apparently. "Looks like you had a productive day yesterday."

Bran took the coffee and followed Tara to the kitchen. She had completed it earlier and she took a seat at the square, oak table. Her chairs didn't match and two were even different colours. She liked that they were all different then each other. " Got a lot done this morning. So take a seat, I can use a break."

Tara looked at the clock on the stove and reminded her self she had an hour and half to two hours tops before Gemma was bring Abel home from his over night visit. Tara took a seat beside Bran and took another drink of her coffee. " I hope that's alright. I didn't know what you liked in your coffee."

The truth of the matter was Bran hated coffee, only drinking when the situation called for it. She didn't even own a coffee maker. She was a tea drinker all the way but she would choked down the cup of coffee in order not to hurt Tara's feelings.

"This is good." Bran told her taking a drink of the coffee and squishing the urge to spit it back out. She was sure Tara made good coffee but any coffee tasted like shit to her. "Thanks again for all your help yesterday. It would have taken me forever to get all my shit inside. I still haven't put my bed frame back together."

"It was nothing, really. And you might want to save your thanks till after you see how much the boys eat. Jax alone eats like a horse, put Juice and Op in there, they might eat you out of house and home." Tara gave a chuckled as she tilted her mug towards the fridge. "So you said yesterday your from out east?"

"Yeah, Maine." Bran said, knowing full well that there was a thin line to walk upon. She didn't want to lie but she knew the price that the truth carried with her family. She may not like what they stand for, how they make their life and resented the way they raised her but rats and traitor's don't live long lives where she's from. Plus she doubted that Tara would swallow the truth, not many people would believe the whole ' my family is generations old hired killers and everything I own is from blood money.' bit. "Maine was good but I think I will like the weather here better."

"I bet you will see the difference for sure." Tara told her drinking more her coffee.

"So what do you do in Charming?" asked Bran settling into her chair with the mug of hot coffee pulled close to her chest. She was hoping to direct the conversation to Tara and away from herself.

"I'm a surgeon at St. Thomas Hospital here in Charming." Tara began shifting around in her seat. She wondered what colours Bran was going to do the kitchen when she got everything settled. She noticed the several high range products on the counter and deduced that Bran was serious about cooking or at least had the skills to warrant the cost in the products. "I mostly work on kids, specifically babies but I also do trauma as well."

"That's a very brave career choice." Bran told her pushing her fridge out of her face. Her hair was piled high in a messy bun and she reached a hand down to pull at the hem of her shorts. They were riding up and starting to piss her off. "I don't think I could do that. It's a lot of pressure having someone else life in your hands."

"It is, but I love it. I mean sometimes I look down at my hands in the middle of surgery and think to myself, whose hands are these doing incredible things. Sure losing patients is hard, and it hurts but when I get to tell a new borns parents their going to make it, everything is worth it." Tara told her, smiling. She really did love what she did for a living. It was long hours, hard work and pressure like nothing else but she loved it.

"What does Jax do?" asked Bran

"He's a mechanic at Teller-Morrow here in Charming. It's a family run business. Jax's mom runs the office and his step dad Clay runs the shop." Tara informed her, easily spitting out the clubs day job."What about you?"

"I'm a jack of all trades I guess. Mostly, I just worked in the family business." Bran said moving her leg up so that it was under her. She took a big gulp of the coffee, set the mug on the table and wondered what she was going to tell Tara. She settled on half truth verse full lie. "My family find people. I tied up some loose ends here and there, did a little grunt work and pushed paper for a while."

It was mostly true, her family at times needed to find people she just left out the part that happened after. You know the who messy blood and brains bit.

"Like bounty hunter shit, like Dog or something?"

Bran grinned at her reference. "Something like that, you could say."

"What will you do now, I mean here in Charming. Are you opening up a bounty hunter shop?" Tara hoped not, as she assumed some of the SAMCRO boys would have outstanding warrants. She wouldn't be surprised if it was more then a few of them. Happy, Tig for sure and possible Chibbs. If Bran was here looking to set up shop then this would mean Tara hope for a friend outside would be shot to shit.

"Hardly." Bran shook her head. Having anything to do with the family business was the last thing she wanted, at least for a couple months. She would eventually have to do a little free lance work to pad her pockets and then there was the favours she used to buy her self some time that would get called in. "I've got enough in savings that I won't actually have to work for a bit, but I kinda want to make something with my paintings work."

"You paint?" Tara asked, finishing the last of her coffee and placing the mug on the table.

"I sketch a fair bit, do a little photography but mostly it's paint." Bran smiled as she talked about painting. "Things with my family and the business can get intense and don't really leave a lot of time or energy to give it the time that I would like."

"If you have time, do you think that you could do something of Jax, Abel and I?" Tara asked, she really wanted some family photo's or really anything of the three of them. "I mean only if you have time and want to."

"Sure, we can working something out. I'm not sure if I am any good, so I'll have to warn you before the fact." Bran finished her coffee and got up, grabbing Tara's mug as she stood. She walked over to the sink and washed them out. "Abel, yours and Jax's? How old?"

"Yeah, he's such a sweet baby. Almost a year and looks so much like his daddy." Tara didn't tell Bran about Wendy, seeing as Abel might as well be hers and something's are better shared over much stronger things then coffee.

Bran turned around from the kitchen sink and looked at Tara. "So, give me the scoop on Charming. Best restaurant's, better priced grocery stores, you know the local shit."

"That's easy." Tara says turning around to face Bran. "You want fresh fruit, you go to Sunflower Mall, down at the end of main st. Meat's and anything bread related you want to go to the Granary and the Block respectively. That's the more expensive route, but you can still get decent quality at the Granger's Market on first st. As for restaurants it depends on what you like. We don't really have that much in diversity but we do have a the standard. Italian, you head to Big Mike's on Fairview and Main st. You want a good family meal, cooked home style that's Lumpy's. As for Chinese, well I think you know which is the good one to get your food."

"Is that so?" Bran set the mugs down in the sink, and picked up the dish towel hanging off a peg on the wall. She dried her hands slowly on the towel. She wasn't the kind of girl who kissed and told but wasn't a normal thing for girls to gossip. "How do you figure that?"

Tara gave her a sneaky smile. "Juice is a good guy, a little socially slow but he's one of the nicest men I know."

"I thought he was very nice yesterday." Bran turned around and leaned up against the sink, giving raising an eye brow at Tara." You know when he came to move my furniture in."

"Was that the only time he was here, yesterday?" Tara prompted.

"Possibly." Bran laughed.

"I could have swore I saw Juice's bike in your drive way awful late last nite."

"I can neither confirm or deny that Juice showed up with dinner last night." Bran told her shaking her head. She wouldn't go into details, having spent some much of her life hiding anything personal it was hard for her to open up too much to fast. But she knew Tara's inquisitive nature wasn't harmful just a way to form a bond between them.

"Oh I can confirm it, and I can probably tell you what restaurant he went too."

Bran laughed at Tara playing detective." Which one?"

"Li Mai's?" Tara guessed, knowing Juice's preference for Chinese food but unsure of which was his favourite restaurant she took a guess.

Bran shook her head. "Kong Wo."

"Boy didn't cheap out." Tara was impressed. Maybe Jax was right about what Juice was looking for. "How good was the dinner?"

"Not the best I've had but certainly not the worse."

"And Juice, how did he rate?" Tara asked her when there was a knock at the door."Maybe that's the boy wonder himself."

"Not that I'm aware off." Bran was just a little bit happy that the someone interrupted the conversation. She walked from the kitchen and towards the door along the front hallway. She checked the window at the side of the door and saw a tall brunette woman with blonde streaks through her hair and a baby in her arms. "Tara, I think this is for you."

"Is it Jax?" Tara asked as she dug into the back pocket of her jeans for her cell. He would have called or messaged if something was wrong, he wouldn't have showed up here. She stood up and walked towards the front door.

"Unless Jax grew boobs, I don't think so." Bran called out behind her shoulder before opening the door." Hello, I'm assuming your looking for Tara."

Gemma surveyed the girl before her. She looked young, Gemma guessed early to mid twenties, short with long hair in a colour Gemma envied. She wore square framed glasses, and her eyes were a more green then brown type of hazel. She was pretty, and when Gemma took a look at her body she knew if Tara brought her around the club, the cro eaters were going to pitch a fit.

Gemma readjusted Abel in her arms and reached out with her hand. "Yes, I am actually. I'm Gemma Teller Morrow."

"Bran. It's nice to meet you." Bran shook Gemma's hand and tried not to frown at the older woman sizing her up. She knew this type of woman, they often came with a backbone of steel, chip the size of the state of Texas on their shoulder and a mouth like nobody's business. Gemma looked like she could cause a world of trouble, and Bran was not looking for trouble, certainly not the kind Gemma wreaked.

Tara stepped out from behind Bran and reached for the baby. Abel was all giggles and smiles as he snuggled into his mama's arms." Hey Gemma. Sorry, I must have lost track of time talking to Bran. Thanks for bringing him over."

"Sorry, baby somethings came up at the shop. Got to whip those boys in to action you know, the like to slack. I just stopped over to drop him off, before I head to the office." Gemma told Tara as she reached out and laid a hand on Abel's soft hair.

"Oh, it's ok." Tara told her as Gemma moved it to kiss her on the cheek. Tara turned to Bran." I'll just go settle him the house with his toys. Catch you sometime this week?"

"I'll be kicking round here." Bran nodded as she leaned against the door frame. "Other then getting the house sorted, I'll be free to hang out. Let me know when the boys and you have your schedule clear for the dinner I owe you."

"Will do, but like I said they might make you regret that. I'll grab the mugs later this week." Tara laughed as she headed down the steps and across the lawn towards her house. Gemma moved into step behind her, casting a look behind her at Bran who waved and watched them walk away.

* * *

Juice dug around the tool box and marked off the contents on a clipboard full of paper. Gemma wanted a full accounting of tools that needed to be replaced or were missing. This task usually would have fell to the prospect, Half Sac but he was dealing with the clogged and overflowing toilet in the club house.

He wasn't as tired as he expected from the night before and it surprised him that he had fallen asleep so easily beside someone else. Sure he'd passed out after a SOA party more then once, and most times it was beside an equally drunk cro eater. Since he had patched into the club, he had only ever had one girlfriend, and he couldn't remember being completely sober sleeping beside her. The three beers he had while at Bran's house wasn't even enough to get him buzzed let alone drunk.

His previous girlfriend was just a regular lay with a glorified title. Communication wasn't really his priority with her and if he was really honest he was just tired of the constant revolving door of blurry faces, sweaty bodies and lies of the sweet butts night after night. Seeing what Clay had with Gemma, an old lady who knew that the deal was, helped when she can and played her part made Juice long a little bit for something of his own.

But after his disastrous attempt, he had backed away from making a relationship with anyone. Bran sparked his interest but he wasn't going to put the chart before the horse. He knew when he watched Jax with Tara now, it made him have that same feeling again. He wanted the soft touches, the whispered words and inside jokes. He wanted to come home to someone else, instead of an empty room, cold bed and tv screen that played call of duty on repeat.

Women, he learned were fickle creatures and if he was going to step into murky waters with someone he wanted to see what they were all about.

"Juicy boy!" a rich Scottish accent called from across the garage. Juice's head turned around with a grin hearing his name, then the smile dropped seeing a shit eating grin on Jax's face, and a near identical look on Opie's. Chibbs face danced with delight that made Juice's head throb with what was going to come out of his brother's mouths.

"Boys, come to help me?" he asked setting the clip board down on the tool box.

"Not likely, brother." Opie gave a chuckle before pulling out a smoke and lighting it. He braced his large body against the frame of one of the roll up doors. He was looking forward to Jax teasing the shit out of Juice. He seemed to always need something to laugh about these days.

Jax leaned against one of the cars that someone was working on and starred at the clubs intelligence officer. He understood the wanting of a partner, a needing of someone who understood and could handled the life. Which is why he pushed Tara to encourage Juice to go over there last night. "How did your little visit go last night?"

Juice swore and then laughed. "Hey, your lady told me to go. She was very insistent."

"Well, she didn't kick you out." Jax stated reaching into his pocket to pull out a smoke and lit it up. He took a drag and blew a line of blue smoke out of his nose.

"How do you know that?" Juice asked, leaning back on the tool box and stretching his legs out.

"Four o'clock piss and your bike is still in my good neighbour's drive way." Jax smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Didn't take you long brother."

"Wasn't like that." Juice told them. He didn't mind the jokes and the witty one liners thrown his way, but it got his back up a bit thinking that the boys saw her as an easy lay. "We hung out and shit."

"I'm sure it was, Juicy boy." Chibbs chuckled with a smile on his face. He wanted to get a look at this girl, who both Jax and Opie told him was a stacked little piece of ass. Juice wasn't the brightest blub in the sack when it comes to woman but hand him something with a power source and he turns into a boy wonder. And after the last disaster of a girlfriend Juice tied himself to, Chibbs was a wee bit protective when it came to Juice shopping outside of their sweetbutt market.

"Oh, I doubt you just hung out and shit." Jax took a drag of the smoke, repeating the bullshit line Juice just fed him. He noted that Juice was quick to shoot down the assumption of getting his dick wet inside Bran, something that spark Jax's interest. When a son defends a woman, it generally means he's got an interest that went beyond one night in the sack. Sweetbutts were talked about in the raunchiest terms, it went with the territory. Their best attributives were broken down, discussed and ranked most conversations. The boys weren't lacking on the detail of their sexual encounters with the cro eaters, everyone knew who gave the best blow job or who had the tightest pussy. What else would you talk about after all the important shit has been picked apart at the church? He never offered information about Tara, this time or before when they were young and stupid. He'd probably cut a man up if he talked about Tara like they talked about cro eaters. "The little scene I saw at her doorway proves other wise, Juice."

"What the hell did you do, stare at her house all night?" Juice shook his head. He had hoped that he could feel the situation out before the entire club pounced, and from the look in Chibbs eyes, he doubted if the rest of the MC didn't already know about the new girl in town.

Jax was saved from a reply when Piney entered the shop. The old man was in a mood, that much was clear. But it was Piney and when he wasn't in a mood, the old fucker was drunk and passed out.

"Aren't you fuckers going to do any work today?" Piney snapped, stomping towards them. He held a clipboard in hands and four reposition slips clipped to it. Gemma had delegated him to repos. Like he a founding member handled fucking repos. That was a fucking prospects jobs. " Going to stand there all damn day with your thumbs up your asses or are you going go get these repo's?"

Jax's hand turned from Piney to Op then Chibs and finally Juice. " Don't look at me boys. I got to talk to Clay bout something."

"Don't all fucking jump at once." Piney thrust the clipboard roughly into Opie's chest. "Make sure your home for dinner with your fucking kids. Your mother is not a replacement for Donna. Get your shit together."

"Love you too Pop." Opie grimace and looked down at the cement floor. He didn't know what to say. To his dad, to his mother, fuck especially his kids. He didn't know how to make this better, how to cope himself. How the hell did he make it better for them?

The shop was silent as they watch the old man glare at his son and walk away. The mention of Donna had sucked all the air out of the garage. It had been less then six months since they put their brother's old lady in the ground. Juice wasn't stupid, he could see Opie's hurt pouring out of him. But it was obvious to anyone with half a brain that Stacy and Kenny were hurting to, and just as lost as their daddy.

"Juicy boy and I willa take that." Chibbs reached out and took the clipboard from Opie. He understood the younger man's plight. He had lost his wife, not to similar circumstances but he knew the bitter feeling of being unable to help your own flesh and blood. It took a man more then a minute to work through feeling like you failed your family. "He looks like he wants to tell me more about this lassie without you two nosey girls around."

Juice was grateful for to opportunity to leave behind the tedious and repetitive task of inventory. He dropped the clipboard on the tool box and went to retrieve the keys for the tow truck. Chibbs was good people, had always been good to him and was one of his favourite brothers to be around. He knew exactly how this afternoon was going to go. Chibbs was not going to let him have a moment of peace in till Juice gave him something about Bran.

"Well, whatever he tells you just tell me the juicy stuff." Jax laughed as Juice gave him the finger when he walked out of the garage with the keys to the tow truck.


	5. Knee Deep

_So Thanks again for the reviews and the story alerts adds! Here is a bit more on Bran's complicated background. More will be explained further on. Promise! xxx_

* * *

Bran hauled her second load from the hardware store to her truck. She placed two large cans of paint with the four other ones in the box on if the pickup. She then tossed the long stick paint roller and a bag of spare rollers, brushes behind the cans of paint. She reached into her purse and pulled out her keys. The box of her truck was starting to fill up more then she expected. Bran went to the hardware store to get paint supplies for the house, as well as replacement light blubs for the back porch but ended up hitting the garden centre attached to the hardware store hard. She had more then half a dozen different kind of flowers on slabs as well as some already potted flowers.

She was planning on doing the inside of the house before starting on the outside but after driving down her street, seeing the other house's lawn's hers just looked like the sad, depressed ugly duckling at the end of the block. Bran had arranged for someone to drop off the lawnmower she brought as well as for someone to come rototiller a portion of her backyard into a garden for her to eventually plant.

"I think I bit of more then I can chew." Bran muttered to herself as she walked around the back of the truck to the driver's side door.

Unlocking her door she climbed into the old 1971 Ford F-100 truck. Her truck wasn't anything special, she was old and well loved. Stella, as Bran liked to call her, had her fair share of scraps and dents from the long miles she had put on her over the years. There was a small dent on the driver's side door from a mini van backing into her in a parking lot a few years back and she had replaced the leather interior more then once from having it slashed by an angry family member.

But she ran good, and never burned a drop of oil. Bran had tricked the truck up when she had gotten serious about the family business. Her grandpa called her 'his little pit bull' for a reason. When she got something between her teeth, she never let it go til it was good and dead. And Bran had wanted to be the best, to earn her stripes the fastest and hear the sound of pride in her father's voice for once, instead of disappointment. Bran made a lot of enemies on her way to the top, and if it took to having a short, double barrel shot gun strapped in under the drivers side of the bench seat in her truck, or the sliding panel in the drivers door where she kept a 9mm gun and 38, then so be it.

When she was younger, Bran used to think she was cursed. Cursed to be the family disappointment because she wasn't hard enough, wasn't a killer by birth. Sure, she excelled at the learning aspect of the family business. She could pick off any target you wanted over great distances that had many of the boys in her training group stumped on. But stick a live target in front of her, she choked. Couldn't pull the trigger, couldn't turn off the emotional part of her brain long enough to kill.

To make matter's worse, her brothers and sister outshone her and were the pride of her father. He never could understand how his fraternal triplets all couldn't be the star killers he wanted them to be. Hadn't he already bred a killer in her oldest brother? Being the youngest and the softest of the three of them earned her more then her fair share of beatings from the old bastard.

Unlike her cousin's, there wasn't a choice for her to choose a less bloody path but still remain the within the family fold. She couldn't be a contact man, she couldn't run the books, or be a buyer. Not one of Brady Jensen's blood. Her father was a legend, had a reputation that stood up against the test of time. And had a perfect kill record that would make a saint weep. Brady was the youngest in the history of hired killers to earn his seat on the Council of Thirteen. The Council being made up of the best assassins, the ones that you never saw coming before it was too late or not at all. The ones that you thought only lived in your nightmares. He earned his seat by the time he was twenty three.

Having a soft bellied child, for Brady was not an option. To say she had daddy issues didn't even scrap the surface. Brady was so ashamed of her he changed her last name to her mother's when she failed her first test. She couldn't even shot a god damn rabbit, back then.

He sure as fuck tried his best to make her something she wasn't. If he couldn't teach her, then he tried to beat into her head. But it wasn't something he did that made her what she was today. No, even the great Brady Jensen couldn't turn his runt of the litter into a cold bloodied killer. The credit wasn't his to take.

Bran never forgot what broke her softness what stripped her of her weakness as her father referred to it. Never forgot what sparked the killer rage that laid buried inside her fragile body. Some killers will tell you they kill with rage, others tell you their numb when they end a life. Detached or focused, it was the only two ways to kill and not get caught. For Bran it was all rage when she started.

But that's what you get when your world is ripped apart five days after your fourteenth birthday. Bran didn't like to think of herself a victim, not a victim of circumstances or her upbringing. But that's what being raped left her feeling like. It was all she could think of lying there, bloody, broken in the ditch that hot summer day somewhere along a back road in Maine.

She remember the moments before she was taken from the back property of her families compound in the rural part of the middle of Maine. It happen so quick, and she was in shock she didn't register to fight back. To struggle against the hands that were pulling at her, and to defend her self from the blows that rained down on her face. But when she woke up to someone moving roughly on top of her, the cold wet dirt one her back and the searing pain between her legs, she fought. And fought but it did her no good, and when the fourth man climb on top she stopped.

When he was done, she whispered in his ear five words she never meant more. ' I'm going to kill you all.'

He laughed, so did his buddy's before they tossed her into the back of the truck they drove. She dosed off and on for while before feeling her battered and broken body in muddy ditch and drove away.

Bran killed her first man when she was the young tender age of fourteen just shy of her fifteenth birthday. Two shots to the forehead, and before he hit the ground she followed his death with three more. And she's never stopped killing since.

Bran shook off the thoughts of her family and her attack. It wasn't a memory she often let creep up on her or even spoke out loud. But like all things that lay buried, they work their way up to the surface at unexpected moments. She was in a better place now, worked hard to fight her demons, to chase back the nightmares and the feeling of unworthiness that plagued her over the years. She was not victim, and she's heard more then once that talking it out makes you feel all better. But Bran knew differently. Nothing made you feel better after being hurt like that, violated like that, used and thrown away like your nothing then standing over those who hurt you and watching their last breaths escape their bodies.

Best fucking counselling out there. And sure as shit cheaper too.

Bran left the hardware store parking lot and returned to the main street. She had list a mile long and wanted to be back at the house by five at the latest. She hit her turning signal and slid into a parking spot on the main st. She turned off the truck and slipped the keys into one of the front pockets of her black purse. She threw open the door of the truck and stepped out of the truck onto the semi busy main st of Charming.

She needed to buy food to fill the empty fridge and cupboards in her kitchen as she eaten the last of the Chinese left over's from her and Juice impromptu dinner date the night before for breakfast and lunch. Then there was the beer and liquor run, and she wanted to bring some fresh flowers home.

Checking her watch, Bran hissed at the time. She had spent way to much time at the hardware store and needed to get her ass in gear.

Juice leaned against the tow truck and waited for Chibbs to get out of the corner store. He had dashed in for something cool to drink as the heat was getting both of them. Just as Chibbs came out of the corner store, Juice heard the rumble of bikes coming down the street. He turned his head in the direction of the noise and saw Op and Tig roll up dressed in their cuts and leather. They backed their bikes in behind the Teller-Morrow tow truck and took off their helmets.

"Hello boyo's." Chibbs reached them and handed Juice his coke. He cracked open his own bottle and when the first of the dark bubble liquid hit his dry throat he wished for some whisky to go with it.

"Clay called for church tonight." Tig informed the two of them as both men nodded. "Gemma's doing a dinner after, round eight or so. It goes without saying you should be there."

Juice knew what was going to be on the agenda for church that evening and was in the process of trying to figure out an excused to back out of dinner when he hear Opie's low whistle.

"She looks even better then yesterday." Opie's eyes danced back and forth from Juice to Jax's friendly neighbour as she left flower store with an arm full of fresh cut flowers. She was down the street a bit from them, busy leaning into the passenger side of her truck on the other side of the street.

Juice bit the inside of his cheek in a grimace, Bran looked good alright. She was wearing bright green tight as sin cut off shorts and a white tank. Her hair was up in a pony tail and she was giving them a good show of her luscious ass from where they were parked.

"You know her?" asked Tig, pulling down his shades to get a better look at the honey Opie had called their attention to. He watched as she closed the door of the truck and started down the street at a clipped pace. She ducked into liquor store, two shops down from the flower store she just left.

"She's Jax's new neighbour." Opie commented as Chibbs stood up a little bit straighter and looked at Juice.

"Oh Juicy boy!" Chibbs laughed and slapped the younger man on the back. "That's my boy."

"What are you talking about?" Tig asked, obviously he had not been educated by Jax earlier like Chibbs had been.

"That my brother is Juice's new lady friend." Chibbs informed Tig as Juice drank his coke in silence. He knew what was coming. He always caught shit from Tig. It was Tig's goal in life to feed him shit.

"No shit." Tig took another look towards Bran's truck before turning back to Juice. "You hit that Juice?"

"No." Juice stated gripping his bottle a little tighter then normal. He respected Tig, liked him most days but he knew exactly where he was going with this. And it pissed him off.

"Well then, since you haven't claimed her I'll just go take a crack at her." Tig grinned at the scowl on Juice's face. It was too easy to push his brother's buttons and it was very satisfying to do.

Tig made his way across the street, as Bran exited the store carrying an arm full of brown paper bags. She was fumbling with the driver side when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps.

Tig watched as the small women turn her head towards him. She had a heart shaped face, large eyes and plump lips that were made for kissing. Her black frame, square glasses made the green in her hazel eyes pop more, and he could have swore he saw a faint hicky at the base of her creamy white neck. He registered the small cut on her bottom lip, but paid it no mind. How ever it happened, wasn't his business. When he eyes trailed down from her face, he was not disappointed. She had more then a handful of perky full tits, flat stomach and a curvy bottom.

"You got something to say or you just going to stand there and prev old man?" Bran frowned and glared at the older man who was dressed in the same cut as Juice wore the night before. She knew you did better with honey then vinegar but that leering expression on his face was just begging for a hard right to it.

"I hear you new in town." Tig recovered from his observations long enough to drag his eyes back up to her face. He caught the angry look and the hot glare she was giving him. He liked feisty girls, it was one of his favourite games to dominate them despite what others thought. Sure it was always easier to fuck the easy meek and more then willing girls but nothing satisfied a man's ego and pride more then taming the smart mouth, bitchy chick.

"Small town, word travels fast apparently." replied Bran turning her body slightly to put the alcohol down on the floor boards of the truck.

"I could show you around, I know a lot of great places." Tig leaned in, shifting his stance so he rested against the truck, caging her in between him and the open passenger door.

"Your a friend of Juice's, right?" Bran asked, nodding towards the cut on Tig's back. She noted the knife on his hip, similar to Juice's and the faint outline of the two guns he had hidden underneath his cut in gun holster's. She placed a hand on her passenger seat, knowing that it would only take her two point five seconds to pull out her nine underneath the seat, if she needed to. She hardly thought she would need to, she recognized what this little conversation was about.

She really hated pissing contest between men. Really, her second day in Charming?

"Yeah, we're apart of the same club." Tig replied, not liking that she mentioned Juice's name. Women don't talk about the intelligence officer to the Sgt in Arms. His was higher position in the club hierarchy, there for he was used to being preferred over his brother. " I'm Tig."

"That's great Tig." Bran told him. "But if I need someone to show me around, I'll ask Juice."

Tig was momentarily stumped. Did she just turn him down? For Juice?

Juice watch the interaction between Bran and Tig. He noted the leering way Tig was behaving which wasn't out of his character at all. Most girls fall at his feet to have him look at them like that. But Juice had already figured out that Bran wasn't the usual free pussy any of them were used to. She was more Tara then cro eater.

"You going to let him step in your shit, Juice?" Opie asked him as he leaned against his bike starring down the street. In his opinion Juice let Tig razz him more then he should. Sure it was great entertainment for the rest of them, but Juice wasn't no prospect anymore. He earned his place at the table, and if sometimes Opie had to push him into standing a little taller then he would. Just like Juice had stepped up and been a shoulder for him. Not that he went all pussy on Juice with his problems but knowing that Juice and Jax were there for him was enough.

"I'm not jealous." Juice stated, tearing his eyes away from the scene down the street to look at Opie.

Sure as shit he was, Opie thought. The clenched jaw, and narrowed eyes with the aggressive stance said something else about his brother's none jealous state. Opie knew Tig like to fuck around with Juice, it went with the territory of being the newest patched member, Juice only have a few years into the MC. Juice was going to have squash this thing that Tig was playing at soon.

"Bran looks pissed, brother." Opie told Juice, knowing that he caught the angry look she was shooting Tig. This girl did not like to be pushed up on, it was refreshing to see that was for sure. She reminded him of Donna in a small way like that.

"Tigger doesn't look like he's making any headway with you lass." Chibbs was enjoying the scene before him. It wasn't often a Son got turned down, even the prissy bitches at the church who shook their spiritual finger at them wanted to get down on their knees and suck some Son's cock.

"I'll be back." Juice told them as he took a drink of his coke and moved away from the tow truck. He took long strides down the street and cast a quick look for oncoming traffic as he cross the street. He heard the last part of the conversation between the two and smiled, it must have hurt Tig a little bit to swallow that.

Bran watched the older man frown and fumble for a reply as she heard footstep approach them. She moved her body around Tig to see Juice approaching them at a clipped pace. The smile that spread across her face was hard to contain. She was generally happy to see Juice, as his infectious personality was hard not to enjoy. And he was far better company then his creepy buddy. "Hey Juice."

Tig watched the transformation play out on the pretty girls face in front of him. The look she was giving his brother was a far cry from the one she was giving him. She went from hostile with a side of bitchy to warm, open and that quick flash of lust in her eyes he caught before it disappeared.

Shit, Juice was already knee deep in this bitch, he wasn't going to be able to budge him out of her. That bit at Tig a bit, as he watched her come around him, making sure she didn't brush up against him and move towards Juice.

"Bran, I see your making your way around town." Juice looked in the back of the truck and saw it almost filled to the brim. Yeah, she'd been a busy girl today, and looked like she would be for a while." Hit the hardware store hard, huh?"

"Don't think there's much for anyone else left there, I'm afraid." Bran replied as she pushed the end of her pony tail off the back of sweaty neck. She took in the blue and white mechanic uniform that Juice was wearing and figured he was on break or something from work. The coke in his hand made her throat feel as dry as the desert.

"I've got a day off in a few, if you need help I can swing by. Maybe get the house painted faster." Juice offered, trying to sound causal. He was nervous, knowing that Tig was starring at him and inspecting his game waiting for a weak spot to appear so he could pounce.

"That would be great but I could actually use some help later tonight if your not busy, I mean." Bran moved a bit closer, reaching for the coke bottle in Juice's hand. He released it with out a struggle and watched as she brought the glass bottle to her lips. When she was done drinking, her tongue darted out and lick a drop of coke off her lips. He sucked in a breath as he watched that little pink tongue slip back into her mouth. He imagined it licking something else.

"Sure, babe. Whatever you need."

"I'm having an awful hard time getting the frame of my bed put together. " Bran told him, playing up the helpless angle a bit more then she really needed. It was a bit hard trying to hold the two pieces of frame together while attempting to screw the screw in, she was going to ask Tara today but with her leaving early and this just seemed the perfect opportunity to back Tig off without coming off more a bitch then she had already.

Juice caught the sly look in her eyes and smiled. "I think I can clear my schedule up later tonight. You should give you me your number so I can call you when I'm on my over."

Bran watched him dig out his phone from his front pocket, and she handed back the coke when she took his phone from him. She added her contact information and handed it back to him. " Thanks, Juice. I'll make you dinner, for being so helpful and all."

"Can I bring anything?" he asked shoving the phone back into his pocket.

"Just beer. I'll have everything else." and with that she placed her hands on either side of his head, resting them on his shoulders and stood up higher on her tip toes and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Thanks again, Juice. "

Tig watched her turn from Juice and move passed him.

"Oh, Tig could you close my door? Thanks, your a doll." Bran tossed over her shoulder as she continued on her way down the street to the market Tara told her about earlier.

She barely heard Tig's hissed words through the bustle of the street.

"Fucking home repair? Really, that's what got you into her panties."

Juice laughed, and started to walk back towards the tow truck feeling like he was the shit. " You know me, Tig I'm always helpful."


	6. Those sweet lies you tell

_Apologises! The end of 2012 was very busy for me. Thanks for all the reviews, I appreciate the time everyone takes to do them!_

* * *

Bran pushed her overfill cart into the check out lane, once she was in line she browsed the candy and magazine rack beside the counter. She read the cover stories that were printed on the covers of the glossy paper. She was about to pick one up when the lady that was one person in front of her was finished with the cashier and had gathered her bags full of food.

Bran moved her cart forward and put down the separation bar down on the counter, as the lady before her started to get rung in. She started to unload her over flowing shopping cart, trying to group the food into their appropriate categories, meats with the meat, dairy with the dairy and so forth. By the time she was even half way through, she heard an exaggerated throat clear in front of her. She looked up to see an older lady, in her forties staring down at her. The cashier was also looking between her and the other women.

The woman starring down on her, had blonde hair and blue eyes. Bran could tell she caked the make-up on to hide the wrinkles that were becoming more and more apparent as the woman got older. She was dressed in a pair of slacks, and a semi dressy blue top. She had a name plate on, reading Tina and from reading the top of the name plate, Bran knew she worked at the Charming Royal Bank branch.

"Your new in town, aren't you." Tina said the question more like it was a statement as she stood before Bran holding her wallet open like she was about to pay for her grocery's. " It's a small enough town that new people stick out real well, specially when they associate themselves with certain people."

Bran straighten her back as she stood up from leaning over the cart, she let the bag of corn rest back in the cart. She didn't know this women and had no idea what the hell she was spouting off about. The snotty, know it all tone set her teeth on edge and she frowned when she replied, in an equally snotty tone. "Here I thought, I blended in real well."

She watched Tina buck at her tone in her voice and her clipped words. The polite frown Tina wore before turned into a nasty sneer as she replied. " I saw you earlier, with those men. Seeing as your new I feel like I need to warn you because I'm a good Christian soul. I'm sure every woman at one time or another has the urge to associate themselves with a good looking man with dark tendoisces but that road only leads to destruction."

"I don't think I'm really following you there." Bran told her cocking her hip and adjusting her purse on her shoulder. She was not in the mood to be preached at. "If you have something to say, why don't you do both of us a favour and spit it out or shut up and pay."

"The Sons of Anarchy are a plague in this town. They are responsible for some of the most horrendous events in our town. Slipping into bed with one of them will only get you two things. Sure he'll tell you he'll always be there, protect you but if he doesn't throw you away like a used rag at the end, you'll end you with a bullet in the back of your head like Donna Winston did. And she was a the wife of a member, mother of his two children and she still ended up dead a few months back. And here we all thought Opie was a nice boy, after all with his daddy belonging to the Son's and his mama a drunk he never had a chance."

Bran stared at this lady, who was spouting what sounded like Opie's personal business around the grocery store with little compassion or sympathy. She knew nothing of his situation nor knew him personally but the sad look he gave her yesterday haunted her now. This good Christian woman was two words from getting knocked on her ass.

"What a good Christian woman you must be to feel like you need to flaunt someone else's personal tragedy and use it to pad your moral high ground. Don't talk about something you know nothing about. Don't preach to someone who wants to hear nothing that comes out of your narrow minded, self serving mouth. Lady, I don't give a flying fuck about what you think, of me or who I associate myself with. You can take your high and mighty self and go fuck right off." Bran clenched her purse with a white knuckle grip before bending down and grabbing what was left in her cart and placed it on the check out belt, each item banging on the counter with a thud.

She probably just bruised the shit out of her apples, but she was to pissed to give a shit.

"Of all the nerve! Your going to regret not taking my advice. Honestly, is it a crime to help someone." Tina through money at the checkout girl before grabbing her grocery's and storming out of the store.

Bran shook her head as she pushed it ahead of her and watched the cashier run her items through the scanner. She caught the nervous look between the girl ringing in her purchases and the shopper behind her. Bran had no doubt that the little incident between her and Tina would be around town in a mere hours.

The woman gave Bran her total and she opened her purse and dug out her wallet. She was counting out the bills on the counter in front of the cashier when the woman spoke.

"Not all of what Tina said was true, but a fair chunk of it was." The cashier didn't meet her eyes when she spoke but her voice was low when she spoke as she rubbed her hands against her uniform. "Samcro isn't want it was back in my papa's day. The clubs changed, and what happened to Donna Winston is a shame. It hurt this town, and the town hasn't forgotten."

"I think it's a matter of opinion and choice. My business, my choice." Bran collected her bags of grocery's and set them into the cart in till there were none left. She walked briskly out of the store pushing the angry to the back of her mind, determined to forget about the ugly scene and focus on cooking Juice a delicious dinner.

* * *

While Bran was driving home, Juice was sitting in meeting room of Samcro looking over the other faces of brother's. Most were determined, as this meeting was one of revenge for Opie's wife who most only knew in passing as the woman wasn't very friendly to club members after Op's five year stint in jail. She was family, and Samcro looked after it's own.

This church session was a long time coming, and it seemed everyone was more on edge then normal. The are was smoking, a combination of cigarette and cigar smoke hung in the air, creating a hazy like atmosphere. It seemed like son in the room had a smoke hanging out of his mouth or resting between his fingers.

Juice looked away from the faces of his brothers and down at his hands, as he remembered the anguish that he saw on Opie's face when he cradled Donna's bloody body in his arms on the dirty street. It was a memory that he knew wouldn't fade from his mind any time soon. Nor should it. It was a grim reminder exactly how dangerous this life was.

"I haven't been able to say this on a club level, but we're all broken up about what happened to Donna. She was a great girl, and we know how much you love her. She sure loved you." Clay's deep voice brought Juice's attention from his hands in front of him to the head of the table. It was quiet, there were no jokes, no harassing of the fellow brother's, this was not a lighter time in Church. The quiet was heavy, weighing down on them like the matter they were here to discuss.

Retaliation for the death of Donna Winston, and the hit gone wrong on her husband Opie. A act of violence against the club that could not go unanswered.

Donna was always nice to him, a little cold at times but she wasn't hostile towards him like she was others. He was not as close to her as Jax was, as he only in the last few months became closer to Opie. He had fond memories of her before Opie's jail time and fewer after it. But she brought a special light to his brother's eyes and it was sad to know that she would never do that to Opie or their two children.

It hurt him to think of Kenny and Ellie. Having spent a little time around the Winston household in the last months before Donna's death, he had interacted with Opie's children and he had no words to comfort either child. No child should loose a parent that young.

"Thanks." Opie said. He nodded in Clay's direction, knowing some kind of acknowledgement was due. It felt like he was always on auto pilot all the time. Not just with the kids, but here with the club. He was numb for so long after that horrible night, it was only in the last few weeks that the need for revenage burned with in him all the time. Like a consuming fire, eating at him from the inside out.

Juice was all for revenge and if Opie wanted him there, he would be there in a heart beat. Like he knew Opie would do the same for him if the situation was reverse.

"Now we have to deal with the underbelly of this. Those bullets that killed her, were meant for you." Clay spoke from the president's chair, taking a drag of his cigar. He needed to handle this situation with care. This was a fucked up situation he and Tig were in. The last thing he needed was Opie and the rest of the club finding out just how bad he fucked up. "We have to settle that."

"Had to be the Niners. Unser said it was a gangsa black SUV, black guy driving." Opie's large hands reached for the pack of smokes that rested on the table a few inches from the ashtray that was always present on the redwood table. He flicked open the lid and pulled out a smoke. Reaching for the lighter that was between him and his father with one hand, he brought the smoke up to his lips with the other. He lit the smoke and inhaled deep.

"No one saw who was driving Op." Tig replied, looking down the table at his brother. The guilt he felt for killing an innocent woman, his brother's old lady was easier to deal with while Opie was away. But now, having his brother in his face every day, looking so fucking miserable, it ate at him. "No one. We are pretty sure that the guy wasn't black."

"He was brown." Clay told them before taking a puff from his cigar. He rubbed his salt and pepper hair before setting down in his chair. He needed to sell this story.

"Mayan's? How do we know that?" Opie asked taking a drag from his smoke. He was so sure, that from the description Unser gave of the vehicle that it was Leroy's gang who had gunned Donna down.

"Jax and Piney talked to Leroy, so we know it wasn't the niners." Chibbs turned to inform Opie. He felt for his brother, knowing all to well what it was like to be parted from someone you love.

"That's right. As far as he is concerned, the Niners and Samcro are good." Piney looked over at his son, rolling a smoke between his fingers, and reached up to adjust his oxygen. Piney knew he wasn't all that good at handling his son. He knew that Opie had round up bringing between Mary taking off and his need for the bottle. He hadn't always been there for his kid, and when he was he wasn't parent of the year. He hated swollowing what Clay and Tig did. But this was the best thing for Opie.

And he was going to do right by his boy, just this once.

"And you believed him?"

"Yeah, we did." Jax weighed in, looking at his best friend from the other end of the table. He knew Opie needed this to move on, and as much good as the months on the road did for him, putting a bullet into the head of someone he thought was responsible would be better for him. Even if it was the wrong person. " I know the truth when I hear it."

Tig, shifted in his seat. He needed this to be over, it was harder to lie to Opie knowing what he did. "It's got to be Alvarez. He thinks we set up him, we took his money and left him behind to get shredded by the Niners."

Clay unfolded a single sheet of paper from his cut, and laid it out on the table. "I had Tremmal look into it. Black range rover, got jacked outside a bar in Alema. Turns up two days later a few miles from the mayan club house in Hayward. Mac ten cases on the floor, same kind of gun that killed Donna."

"By the end of the day, we'll know who's prints are on the dash board." Tig nodded to his brothers.

"I convinced Tremmal to let us handle the arrest." Clay ashed his cigar as he watched what he was telling Opie sink it.

"I am the one who kills him." Opie said, each work firmer then the one before. He looked into each of his brother's eyes, watching the nod in agreement.

"Agreed." Clay bit out like it was even a question. Opie needed this. Everyone knew it. " You, Tig and Chibbs."

Jax shook his head, " And me." There was no way he was letting Opie do this without him.

"Yeah, I want Jax." Opie looked down the table at Clay.

Clay nodded. "And Jax. Juice, when Tremmal comes through with the name I want you to run it. I want to know where this guy takes a shit."

Juice nodded, knowing he would have to cancel on Bran because he needed to be at the club house when the information came down the pipe.

Clay's gavel rang out in the silence of the room, calling an end to Church.

* * *

Bran fiddled with the half empty mug of tea, pushing it back and forth a few inches at a time on the dark brown desk in her safe room. She stared at the lap top screen before her, reading page after page of information on the organization known as Sons of Anarchy, and it's present members. Dinner was made and was just waiting on the last minute touches that she would put on just before Juice arrive.

Although she had no moral objections to those who played on the wrong side of the law she like to be educated. Bran had no desired to draw heat, suspicion and curiosity her way by becoming involved in any way in a bad situation. After all, this was suppose to a sabbatical of sorts for her.

Bran didn't kid herself, she knew regardless of the fact she was interested in Juice, if it was not in her best interest and poised any threat to her family or to the business she would cut it off short before it even began.

She wasn't stupid, she knew a well used line like the one that came out of Juice's pretty lips. ' Harley enthusiasts' her ass. Most of the shit she read, was what she expected. Burglary, arson (Opie like to blow shit up apparently), assault, a few weapons charges scattered upon the members etc. Some members rap sheets were extensive and others had charges scattered throughout the years. All had served some length of time on the inside, some pulling longer stints, like Opie's five year bid for arson.

A few of the members had outstanding warrants most for the usual stuff. B & E for Bobby 'Elivis' Munson, a couple assault charges for Filip ' Chibbs' Telford, and then there was Tig. Alex 'Tig' Trager had five outstanding warrants. Most like the others were nothing unusual but the one that stood out was his assault and public nudity in an agriculture barn.

She almost wanting to know what the hell he was doing naked as a jay bird in a barn enough to ask.

Both Opie and Jax's were second generation SAMCRO, both their fathers the deceased John Teller and the still living Piermont 'Piney' Winston were founding members of the organization. It was suspected that Samcro was in bed with the Real IRA back in the green isle as their brother charter Sambel and other Irish charters all had close ties with the IRA.

Bran exited the folder that held the information she had been sent by her cousin Lucy earlier in the day. She owed Lucy a favour for putting together the information quickly and quietly. She pulled up the article on the Donna Winston murder that happened months before. Gun down while driving her husbands truck on the way to the store, sent a clear message that the hit was meant for Opie.

There wasn't any doubt that Opie must be carrying a shit load of guilt inside. That explained the sad look in his eyes very well and proved the local gossip true.

The Son's were serious players, small time players they might be but they handled their shit.

Checking the time on the bottom of the computer screen, Bran exited out of her programs, closed down her laptop. Juice would be here for dinner in forty minutes. She wanted to have enough time for a quick shower and a few changes of clothes as she had no doubt that her nerves would get the best of her.

Grabbing her mug, Bran left the safe room, keying in the code to close the door behind her. She placed her mug on the counter before shoving the table back into place, and arranging the chairs back into their place. She pulled the heavy curtain back from the kitchen window and shoved mug of tea into the microwave to warm it up.

Hearing the beep of the microwave, she opened it and took a drink from the hot tea. She walked over to the oven, opening it slightly to check on her lasagne baking in there. There was Caesar salad in the fridge, and when Juice got there she would just have to put the garlic bread in the over to bake for 15 and everything would be ready to eat.

Juice had texted her earlier, so that she would have his number. It was a dorky, cute message that she would expect him to send. And when her phone began to ring, seeing his name flash across her screen made Bran breakout into a smile.

"Hello?" Bran tried not to sound excited that he was calling her. Shit, she was pathetic.

"Hey Bran." Juice's voice was low, as if he was whispering into the phone. She could hear various voices in the background, loud enough to hear but quiet enough not to be able to make out what they were saying. "It's Juice, which I am sure you know. So I don't know why I said that."

Bran chuckled at the way he sounded." Calling for directions?"

"No, actually." Juice soft laughter made her smile more, but the way his voice changed caused her to frown." I'm actually calling to cancel."

Bran couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice. "Oh okay."

"I'm really sorry, I want to come for dinner. But something came up at the garage so I have to stay." He couldn't very well say the clubhouse without trying to explain what the hell was keeping him here." I know it's last minute and all, I hope you didn't go to a lot of trouble."

"No, it's no big deal." Bran said starring at the oven, feeling a little bit like a idiot. The feeling of rejection weighed heavy in her stomach. Juice wasn't the first man to put it there. She forced a nonchalant tone in her voice when she spoke to him next. "I didn't really have anything pulled together."

"Oh, okay. Maybe we can try this again later this week, I mean if your free. I told you that I had a day off this week pretty soon, so I can stop by for sure to help you out. If you want me too." he was rambling and he couldn't get his mouth to shut up. He hated that she sounded so disappointed and he didn't want her to think he wasn't interested.

"Sure that's fine. I've got to go. I left something on in the kitchen." Bran lied just wanting the conversation to end, as she started to put away the long french loaf. She was enough lasagne to feed six people, she didn't need the bread.

"Okay. Bye."

Bran hung up and sat down at the table, and stared at the oven for the next forty minutes trying to figure out why the hell she was so sad.


	7. Complicated Pussy

_Like always it seems, my apoligies are in order for my lack of updating. My job always seems to get in the way of writing. I hope this makes up for the lack of updates. _

* * *

It was lunch time a Teller-Morrow, and Juice stared at his phone for the tenth time that day. The messages that flashed across his screen weren't from the person he was hoping for. It had been three days since he cancelled on Bran and she seemed to be holding a grudge. He dropped his phone onto the work bench and half-heartedly started to eat his sandwich.

He felt like an ass for cancelling on her but the club came first. It was the unbreakable, unbending rule that he lived his life by. The club was his family, his home and it wasn't an option to put something first. Besides, it was for Opie, for Donna. To help set something so very wrong, right.

But the shade Bran was throwing his way left a bitter, foul taste in his mouth. It wasn't often he had something that was solely his, someone that he didn't have to share. That he wasn't a second choice, the left over option. He saw the way the sweetbutt's looked around the club house at night, mentally listing off the brother's, ranking them and he knew where he fit in. Most of the time, he didn't care. Too stoned out of his mind, and just looking for a warm body to get off in.

He wasn't as hard as some of his brothers. Nor was he as soft as some of them thought he was. Juice understood the place that woman held in the lifestyle. The difference between an old lady and a sweetbutt. How each were treated very differently but both knew that the man made the decisions. But his mama taught him better, if not with words but examples. He remembered how some of then men in her life treated her, often with the back of their hands.

He would never be that way. Juice knew and had seen some other members from other charters and some in his own club deal with their respected old ladies and the occasional crow eater in the same fashion but that was their shit and he stayed out it. But as complicated as what ever this was or could be between him and Bran was, Juice knew what he wanted.

Something of his own. Someone of his own.

Juice wanted advice, but eyeing up his brother's around him in the shop he saw little to no chance of asking any of them. Tig, would tell him to go fuck a crow eater, Chibs would shake his head, mutter something about finding free pussy. And Jax would call him a pussy.

He tried to talk to Tara about it, the other day but all he got was a look. The look a female gives you when you are suppose to know why their mad at you, but you never, ever know what you did to piss them off.

Maybe, he should just get loaded tonight at Bobby's home coming tonight, and bury himself into something easy, no complications and no explanations. This little whatever it was between him and Bran was making his head hurt.

No wonder everyone fucked crow eaters.

They didn't require explanations, sweet words or fuck, even conversation. There was no question what they wanted, and all he had to do was wear his cut, enjoy his beer and wait for the next easy lay to fall into his lap. No work require.

But when he saw Jax with Tara, how she looked at him like he was the beginning and end to her world, the loyalty, respect and love between them; it made a part of him ache. He wasn't by far the a romantic sap but when he remembered the good days between Opie and Donna, and how they had worked so hard to get back to that before her death, it made him want.

Want for something more then he had been getting, had experienced before. More then a quick fuck with a well used pussy, more then a nameless body beneath him. Someone who wasn't interested in rolling off him for a dick with more rank.

Juice didn't fault Bran, she wasn't from Charming. She didn't understand what Samcro was, and what it meant to him. He didn't know how to explain it to her.

He took another bite of his sandwich, and rubbed his hand over the 'hawk. He really could use a fat blunt right now.

Juice was just beginning to realize how complicated it was going to be to try to make something work. He could tell that Bran wasn't a fuck buddy, if she was she would have been under him the first night he was over at her house. She was different then what he was used to associating himself with, she wasn't a crow eater down on her knees, Bran was girlfriend material, possibly future old lady material.

It was never something he did, bring club business home, and it was something he didn't know how to do. The few women he had dated were Charming locals, so they knew what Samcro was about, what he was about. There wasn't a need for an explanation.

Fuck, maybe he should just drop this stupid idea of trying to find something different and go back to the way shit was before he had saw her tight little body strutting across her lawn from Jax's house. He didn't do complicated well.

Shit, he didn't do most social situations well.

"Juice." Gemma's voice floated through the door that connected the garage to the tiny office that was Gemma's domain. She had been in the office all morning since she had finished her errands in town, and had spent a fair bit watching the goof ball Juice.

The Queen knew all her men, even those she didn't engage on a daily basis, Juice being one of those types. She knew when they were happy, when they were sad, when they were in a pissier of a mood and when they needed to get fucked. Juice was in one of the foulest moods she had seen him in a long time. He was quiet, withdrawn and sulky. The pouting portion hadn't lasted a day before he was snapping at everyone who tried to talk to him.

There was only one other time he had been like this, during that never ending cycle with his ex junkie whore of girlfriend, and then all she had to do was put Chibbs's ear to the ground and the situation was handled. Chibbs had a special way of dealing with the most socially impaired Son.

Chibbs was out with, Jax, Opie and Tig handling club business, and setting Opie right. So it looked like this duty fell to her.

Juice's head dropped a little more. Like his day couldn't get better. What the hell did he do to get on Gemma's radar? He put the half eaten sandwich drop back onto the saran wrapper that was spread out on the bench, before pushing off the work bench. His long legs ate up the distance between the bench and Gemma, standing at the door looking out at him.

"Yes, Gemma?" Juice asked, trying to keep control of the nasty tone that he knew was in his voice. Clay would have his ass in a sling when Gemma pulled her boot from his ass for upsetting her. And the last thing he needed to be was on Clay's shit radar.

"You all right darling?" Gemma thought it was best to start off with the sweet mother voice before bringing out the 'I don't take any shit.' voice. Besides, this was Juice, he responded better to sugar then vinegar.

"It's nothing. Had a bad few days, is all Gemma." Juice told her, as he stuck his hands into the pockets of his greased stained work pants. "I'm fine really."

"Are you fucking that junkie whore again, Juice?" Gemma asked him, disapproval dripping from her voice. Juice wasn't making eye contact with her, so she reached out and slapped him hard on the arm. "Look at me when I'm talking to you."

"No Gemma." Juice's soft brown eyes looked into Gemma's cold blue eyes. He knew who she was talking about, his ex who love crack more then she loved him. He wasn't some sheltered boy, he grew up in Queens for christ sake. And it was like he didn't enjoy a joint or two on more then one occasion, and had even tried something harder when he was younger, but Chibbs forced him to realize he wasn't the only dick that had been in Becky's pussy when they were together he drew the line there.

And he hadn't been back since.

He was willing to share sweetbutts and crow eater's, but when you were his girlfriend, you were his alone. " I haven't been with her in a few years, I know better."

"Well, if it ain't her, honey then what is it?" Gemma asked, him leaning against the door from that connected the office to the shop. Foul didn't look good on Juice, he didn't wear it well. " I know something has crawl up your ass. Don't you lie to me, Juice."

"It's nothing really, Gemma."

Juice couldn't really explain to Gemma what had him so down in the dumps. He really didn't understand it himself. Fucking crow eaters, and knowing that they wished you were one of your other brothers, was one thing but being rejected by a girl who turned down one of the more important members for you had a sting he wasn't used to feeling.

Gemma frowned, she was loosing patience with Juice's beating around the bush. Boy ought to know, she liked to cut to the chase. She cocked a hip, and place a well manicured hand on jean clad hip, and told him how it was going to be. " Listen Juicy, you got two choices, tell me or I'll bring up your attitude problem with Clay when I see him."

Gemma almost felt bad when she saw him pale a little under his golden brown skin. It only bothered her a little bit that he was more afraid of Clay then her.

"It's about a girl." Juice admitted, casting a look around the shop area for anyone. If they guys knew how cut up he was about Bran, he wouldn't hear the end of it. He kept his voice low, hoping no one would hear.

"Honey, it always is about pussy." Gemma shook her head, and waved her hand at him to spit it out.

"I was suppose to have dinner with Bran a few nights, you know like a thank you for doing some stuff around the house kinda thing. Or maybe it was a date, I'm not to sure." Juice started off, not knowing how to explain it to Gemma without sounding like a pussy. " But I had to cancel for club shit."

"Wait, what are you doing letting a crow eater cook you dinner?" Gemma asked, a bit confused at his predicament. Crow eaters knew their place, and if some little pussy bitch was giving him shit for leaving her handing for club business, Gemma was going to lay down the line hard.

Juice shook his head, "No, Gemma, Bran's not a crow eater."

"Then who the fuck is she?"

"Jax's new neighbour. I met her when she was moving in the other day." Juice explained, a bit sheepishly as he tried hard not to blush. " We kinda hit it off."

The puzzle started to make sense to Gemma. The pan of lasagna that Tara dropped off at the beginning of the week that Gemma knew was homemade and Tara hadn't cooked. The hushed talk about the new girl stepping in to defend Opie's reputation, she had heard when she was getting supplies for Bobby's return party. The new girl she met across from Jax's who had semi regular coffee dates with Tara was already causing ripples with her boys, this was something Gemma did not like.

She could understand why such a pretty little thing would peek Juice's interest, she was essentially a step above anything he's put his dick in recently. More wholesome, less tainted and used up like a lot of the crow eaters. She was the kinda girl you made a home with, not the kind you fuck in the cleaning closet and leave with cum dripping down her legs.

"And now she's pouting cause you blew her off for Opie." Gemma summed up the situation in a sentence. Juice was going to have to walk a fine line with this one. Gemma had already heard this morning when she stopped for coffee that little Bran had a temper, and a fast talking mouth, putting that nosey bitch Tina from the bank in her place.

Gemma had her own words with Tina, talking shit about Opie was not in anyone's best interest.

"She just doesn't understand that's all." Juice said rubbing his big hand over his 'hawk. Touching it reminded him of Bran and how he liked it when she touched it. " I want to see her again, but she doesn't know about the club shit."

"You fuck her yet?"

Juice couldn't hide the flinch that flash across his face at Gemma's bluntness. "No, she's not like that."

"And yet she's got you all twisted up inside." Gemma frowned, thinking it was time for her to pay the neighbour girl a visit. She smoothed a stray hair from her face, before resting her hand on her hip." Sweetie, wait her out. She's probably just a little pissy right now. I'm sure she'll call soon."

"You think?" Juice gave her a small smile. He watched her face as she raised an eyebrow and shrugged at his question.

"Sweetie, "Gemma leaned towards Juice. " I'm sure you can and will find something a little less complicated. Why look for strings when you can get pussy for free?"

Gemma really didn't see Juice as old man material. He was too goofy, didn't have a hard enough hand to keep an old lady in line. Especially the one he was sniffing around. She was too much like Tara and not nearly meek enough for Gemma's liking. She didn't need another bitch challenging things around here. "I don't have to tell you that if your planning on making her more then just a fuck, you better be running her name."

Juice tried not to look so insulted when Gemma pointed out that he should run a back round check on Bran, like he as the intelligence officer wasn't aware of that duty already. He was planning on acquiring her details the night before after dinner when she was busy cleaning up. He knew his obligation to the club to protect them came first. Even before his dick. "I know Gemma."

Gemma stared at the retreating figure of Juice as he made his way towards the back of the shop to finish his lunch. She had a shit load to do for Bobby's return party that night, and she was going to have to shuffle around some things to make a quick stop at little neighbour girls place.

Gemma liked to know who was sniffing about one of her men, and at first she had only been mildly concerned about the pretty little neighbour across from her son, knowing that a small word in Jax's ear would have him squashing any type of relationship that Tara had with the woman. Besides, she had her hands full worrying about Tara and Jax.

Her little conversation with Juice had left her troubled. And a troubled Gemma Teller-Morrow was nobody's friend.


	8. Friendly Chats

Bran felt the paint splatter against her bare legs as she poured the rich green paint into the paint tray. She was well on her way into the second coat of the living room, music pouring out of her entertainment system and a half empty can of red bull sat on her coffee table. She was wearing her oldest, more stained the not pair of cut off shorts and an equally old t-shirt. Like her legs, neither had survived her two day painting spree paint free. Her pony tail bounced with the beat of the song as she painted, using the long roller.

The inside of the house was really starting to take shape the last few days. Sure, there was what she was sure a million little details left to do before it was completely home but at least the big jobs were mostly completed or getting that way. She had painted the kitchen, front hallway and downstairs bathroom yesterday and would have the upstairs finished by the end of the weekend she hoped.

Keeping her hands busy was the key, Bran figured. If they were busy then she wouldn't have time to look at her phone. Juice had taken the hit yesterday, and stop lighting her phone up with unanswered messages. For some reason, it made her a bit sad.

It was for the best that things didn't progress further then what it did between her and Juice. Even though a part of her ache for a relationship that was her own, Juice was a sexy, goofy man wrapped up in caution signs and she knew heading down that road would be a complicated, and dangerous journey.

But that taste of him, lingered in her mind, and on her lips. A taste was all she was ever going to get, and she needed to forget him.

And in till her traitorous body did, she was going to throw her self into making this house she had bought a home, and avoiding a certain mo hawked, deliciously sexy man as best should could.

As Bran raised the paint stick up towards the wall, she caught out of the corner of her eye and flash of colour. Turning her head, her eyes widened a little taking in the site of Gemma Teller-Morrow walking by her bay window's up the walkway towards the front door.

"Mother fucker." muttered Bran under breath. There was something about Gemma that rubbed Bran in all the wrong places. Gemma wasn't stupid, she would know that Tara wasn't here so whatever Gemma was here for it was something to do with her.

She put down the roller down into the paint tray and turned off the music before making her way to the front door. She opened it as Gemma was ringing the bell. The other woman was dressed in a similar fashion that Bran had seen her in last time. A flashy shirt, tight dark wash jeans, and tall knee high boots. Gemma's hair was styled in a way that made Bran slightly jealous. The California heat was making her hair frizz out more then normal, and Gemma's was sleek, shinny and curled to perfection around her face.

"Hey, Gemma." Bran forced a smile, as she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. " Tara isn't here."

" I know. I brought your dish back." Gemma stated, thrusting the dish out towards Bran. Bran recognized it, as she had dropped it off full of pasta that she had made for Juice for dinner a few nights back at Tara's. She had no desire to eat lasagna for the next three days because Juice was a jerk and cancelled.

Bran took it from her and tucked it under her arm." Thanks. How did you end up with it?"

"Tara dropped off the left over's for the boys." Gemma told her as she moved inside the door." You going to offer me a cold drink. It's hot as hell out here."

Bran frowned behind Gemma's back, as she watched the other woman walk into the house ahead of her and towards the back of the house where the kitchen was located. Shaking her head, Bran followed Gemma watching the woman as she inspected the house as she walked through it.

"Nice little place you have here." Gemma's eyes missed nothing as she walked through the hallway and into the kitchen. She could smell the paint, and see the details coming together in the house. Clearly the little neighbour girl had been busy. And not just with Juice. "You've done a lot of work in a short amount of time.'

"Been burning the mid night oil." Bran said as she set the glass dish on the counter and reached up to the cupboard to grab some glasses. Pulling down two glasses she made her way over the fridge. "I have ice tea, fruit juice or milk."

"Ice tea is fine." Gemma told her as she looked over the kitchen. The appliances where new, stainless steal, and Gemma could see that this woman was serious about cooking, or at least she wanted people to think so from the looks of the small appliances on her counter. The kitchen walls were painted a cheery pale blue that set the back splash off very nicely. The sent of fresh flowers that were sitting in a pretty vase on the kitchen table, right next to the open purse and afternoon breeze coming through the open window over the sink were trying hard to combat the heavy smell of paint that lingered in the air from the living room. "Paint smell is pretty strong in here."

"We can drink the ice tea on the back porch if you like." Bran offered as she poured the dark brown ice tea into the glasses before putting the jug back into the fridge.

"Sounds good." Gemma nodded, as she looked down the hall away from the kitchen. "I need to use your washroom."

"Down the hall, second door on the right." Bran nodded towards the hallway that lead past the living room. She grabbed both glasses and started towards the back door. " I'll meet you out side."

Gemma smiled as she watched the younger woman move towards the back door and turned to head down the hall towards the bathroom. She heard the screen door slam against the house and turned her long legs around made her way back the kitchen. Gemma felt no guilt as she rummaged through the black purse on the table. After all it was already open. She pulled out a long, rectangular green wallet and unclasped the latch on it. She flipped open the wallet and pulled the driver licence out with one hand and with the other she grabbed her phone out of her own bag. Snapping a photo of Bran Donovan new California drivers licence before placing it back into Bran's wallet. Tossing her phone back into her own bag, Gemma dropped the wallet back into Bran's bag before heading out the back door.

She would be making a phone call to Luann later, there wasn't anything she didn't want to know about this little bitch.

She found Bran sitting on a wicker chair drinking her glass of tea. Gemma took a seat across from her and looked around. The house may be coming along nicely but the back yard looked like shit. She reached for the glass and took a drink before Bran spoke.

"Gemma, you look like a woman who like who appreciates getting to point, so I'll do just that." Bran looked across the porch at Gemma and tried not to to think about the last time she was out here with Juice. " Neither one of us is stupid, you've got another reason to be here and returning the dish just got you in the door."

_Smart mouth little bitch. _Thought Gemma before she replied with a icy smile and dry tone." Heard about your argument with Charming's own gossip hag, Lisa."

"It was more of a discussion." Bran frowned, and shook her head. It was apparent that people in the small town of Charming were hard up for entertainment if that little disagreement between her and that nosey bitch Tina had reached Gemma's ears. "I'm sure by the time you heard about it, it was exaggerated greatly."

"Not many people would take up for a person they met once." Gemma pointed out watching the Bran like a hawk. She didn't know exactly what she didn't like about here, but there was something there that set off her warning flags. Like Tara, this little bitch was going to work her last nerve.

"I wouldn't be much a person if I took pleasure in someone else tragedy. I'm not interested in getting into someone else business." Bran informed Gemma, trying to figure out what Gemma's game was.

Tina had been a thorn in Gemma's side since high school, and Gemma had a more then a few not so friendly chats with Tina back then. And the prissy stuck up bitch hadn't forgotten them either. Tina wasted no opportunity to talk shit about Samcro or Gemma. It was one thing for Gemma to put Tina in her place, but for an outsider to do so wasn't something she was use to hearing about.

"What's your agenda here hunny?"

"Excuse me?" If Bran had been drinking from her ice tea she would have choked on it. Gemma coming her and accusing her of having an agenda just proved getting involved with Juice or anything that has to do with Samcro was more hassle then anything. " What are you talking about?"

Gemma gave Bran a slow smile that reminded her of something predatoral. " Honey, I know this town. Born and bred here, I know the way it works. You've been here long enough for some big mouth to fill your pretty ears about Samcro. Your smart enough to be curious enough to find out what you didn't hear already from someone else after Tina's little fit at the market."

"I'm still not understanding what this has to do with me trying to build a life here." Bran shifted in her seat, and cracked her neck. Gemma was a puzzle, Bran wasn't interested in figuring out. That pretty little nose was going to try to push it's way all up into her shit, and Bran wasn't having any of it. "Why do you think I have this hidden agenda cause I told some bitch to shut up about Opie's personal business?"

Little girl had balls, Gemma mused as she took a drink of the ice tea. Decent cook, and straight to the point. She could admire that, as long as the little girl knew her fucking place. And that wasn't within Samcro.

"It was still a nice thing you did for someone you met only once." Gemma stood and moved away from the chair to lean against the deck rail." Did you do it thinking it would get you into Juice's pants?"

"Really?" Bran scuffed as she looked at Gemma. She set the glass down on the table before her and raised an eyebrow at the older woman. " I hardly doubt I would have to go to that much trouble to get Juice's pants off. And no Gemma, telling that twat off wasn't about Juice. I think it's disgusting to use someone else's personal tragedy to pad your moral high ground."

Gemma nodded, setting her glass aside on the railing. " Your fucking with Juice's head."

" I wasn't aware that you were his mother too."

"I'm not, smart ass." Gemma snarled, at the tone Bran used towards her. " He's a good kid, stupid but a good kid. I don't want to see him get fucked over."

"What do you want to me say Gemma? What are you looking for here?" Bran was about to reach her limit with Gemma. She may be queen bitch in the Samcro world but no one came into her home and disrespected her like Gemma was.

"Your ignoring him cause your pissed about him blowing you off for club business."

"Club business?" Bran brought a hand up to the back of her neck and rubbed the ache till it eased. She knew that Samcro was the reason he had blew her off but she wasn't about to admit it to Gemma. " He never gave a reason. I never asked. Like I said before, I'm not interested in getting into anyone else shit. "

"Don't play stupid." Gemma told her, sizing the other woman up." It doesn't look well on you. You been in Charming long enough to hear what people say about Samcro. You have an idea of what and who they are."

"I've heard things." Bran replied, keeping the fact that there was a file on her lap top twenty pages long on Samcro. " Your point, Gemma."

"What do you want from Juice?"

Bran had to give it to Gemma, she had balls the size of grapefruit's. "I hadn't really thought that far, I mean I just met the kid two days ago."

"You want to fuck him, get it over with." Gemma told her bluntly and with force. " Spread those skinny legs of yours and be done with it. And when he's done with you, be a smart girl and fuck off because your never going to be an old lady."

Bran watch Gemma walk off the porch and around the side of the house making her way to the front yard and her car.

"Fucking bitch."muttered Bran as she stood up and took both the glasses into the house. " What the fuck is an old lady?"

* * *

Jax pulled into his drive way just in time to see his mother backing up from his neighbour's drive way. To see his mother leaving Tara's new friends house left him with an odd feeling was an understatement. Any time his mother stuck her nose into anything, it always ended up bad.

He waved her down as he kicked the stand down and got off his bike. He walked down the length of his drive way towards the black caddie as his mother waited for him with her window down.

" Hello darling." Gemma called out, giving her son one of her rare genuine smiles." Your home early. Things go well with Ope?"

"Handled, ma." Jax replied leaning into the car to kiss his mother's cheek." What are you doing at the neighbour's?"

"Just being friendly." Gemma replied, knowing the look her son was giving her." What, I can't be friendly?"

"Never have been before, at least to outsiders and those members of the female sex."

"Smart ass." Gemma smirked. "I think you need to tell Tara to back off her. There something I don't like about here."

"There is something you don't like about Tara." Jax sighed, dragging his fingers through his blonde hair. His mother just couldn't let Tara have anything. Not even a friend out side the club. " Leave it alone, ma. Tara likes her, she's nice."

"She's sniffing after Juice." Gemma informed him, reaching for her pack of smokes. She pulled one out of the package and lit the cigarette up. "It's fucking with his head. He's moping at the shop all day, growling at everyone."

"From what I see, Juice is sniffing after her." Jax shook his head. The things that worked his mother up sometimes was beyond his understanding." He's a grown man, he'll handle it. Mind your business."

"We don't need outsider's fucking with club business." Gemma pointed out and she took a drag of the smoke.

"This ain't club business." Jax countered, pulling out his own cigarette and lighting it up. He put it to his mouth and sucked the nicotine and smoke into his lungs before exhaling. " If Juice wants to try and get his dick wet with Bran it's his choice."

"Fine." Gemma reached out the window and flicked her ash. Sensing that Jax wasn't going to back her with this, she changed the topic. " Don't be late for Bobby's party. Tara coming?"

"She'll be there after her shift." Jax backed away from the car as his mother nodded and drove off. He peered across the street, as he smoked and watched his neighbour paint her walls with a little more force then necessary. Clearly, whatever Gemma had sad to her had worked it's way under her skin and Jax was more then tempted to let it Tara deal with it but knowing his woman the way he did he knew he would be hearing about sooner then later. A pissy Tara meant no sex for him.

Shit, he hated dealing with bitch problems.

He made his way across the street and up the lawn. When he knocked on the door, he heard her yell to come in. Jax stubbed out his smoke and dropped it in the bush beside the door. Walking into the house, he whipped his boots on the mat and made his way down the hall, towards the living room where she was painting.

"Hey Bran." he said to her as she flashed him a smile while she continued painting.

"Jax, how's it going?" Bran really wasn't in the mood for visitor's as Gemma had exhausted whatever social need she thought she had. But this was Tara's man, and she really liked Tara so she plastered a smile on her face before asking him a question. "Thirsty? I've got iced tea."

"No, it's ok thanks darling." Jax replied as Bran nodded and continued to paint the wall. " I noticed my mother payed you a visit."

Bran scoffed, and shook her head. "That she did."

"Look, my ma can come on a bit strong. Whatever she said to you, you should just ignore it." Jax told her. He could see why Juice was circling around his neighbour. She had a pretty face, and a shapely body but she was a bit on the shorter side for his liking. He liked his ladies tall and willowy like Tara.

"Your mother said a lot of shit." Bran told him as she rolled the paint roller in the tray. "Look, I'm here for a fresh start. Drama really isn't something that I am interested in being apart of. Your mother is a bit much to handle."

"Yeah, she is." Jax nodded, understanding what she was saying. Tara had said the same thing a time or two to him. " We've got this thing at the club house tonight, you should come."

"The club house?" Bran looked at him, with a confused expression. From what she read in the file she figured he meant the building located on the Teller-Morrow lot.

"Yah, it's beside the garage. You should come later. I'll have Tara grab you after her shift."You two will have fun." Jax suggested, knowing that Tara would have more fun with Bran around instead of standing off to the side by herself glaring at the crow eaters who dare to breath the same air as him in front of her. " Juice will be there."

"I seriously doubt that's a good idea. " Bran looked over a blonde, taking the differences between his and Juice's cuts in the badges. Knowing Jax was higher up on the food chain from the file then Juice, she wondered what his men of mayhem patch meant. " I like spending time with Tara, but your mother has made it very clear how she feels about Juice."

"Do you always listen to other people?" Jax smiled giving her that trade mark Teller smile that made the panties drop on more then one lady.

Jax's smile was nice, but Juice's groofy grin was better. She could see why Tara liked Jax. He was charismatic, good looking and confidante boarding on cocky. He was very appealing but her taste never ran in blondes.

Going to the Samcro club house was exactly what she wanted to avoid. It would put right into the shit, and directly in Gemma's eye sight. But after Gemma's little smack down on her back porch she wanted to show Gemma that she wasn't here to be pushed around. Plus spending time with Tara and seeing Juice wasn't horrible either.

"Fine, just cause I like spending time with Tara." Bran stated hoping that Jax got the point that Juice wasn't her focus on coming as she still had no idea what she wanted to do with her feeling about him.

"I'll let Tara know." Jax nodded, as he turned and left the house.

He knew his mother wouldn't be happy, and over the last few days he had seen the difference in Juice. His lack of interest in the sweetbuts around the club house and his grumpier attitude, was apparent to everyone around him. To many of his brother's were miserable, and he wanted to see a change in that.

If Juice wanted Bran to stick around he would have to handle his own shit. Jax would set his brother up with an opportunity, and hopefully Juice wasn't as stupid as he looked to waste it.


End file.
